Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 333: Silencing the Opposition

Bruno knew that the team was running on adrenaline and that halftime could be their biggest enemy. Fifteen minutes wouldn't be enough for his teammates to recover, but it could kill their momentum and rhythm. On the other hand, France could use the break to adjust, and they were no pushovers.

Going into halftime with just a one-goal lead was like a death sentence. The second half would be drastically different because a one-goal deficit would give France confidence and motivation. They'd be constantly thinking about equalizing, and as the saying goes, it's not the thief you fear, but the thief who keeps thinking about stealing from you.

To prevent France from getting any ideas, the score had to be extended before halftime.

From Bruno's perspective, the French team, caught off guard, had many weaknesses. However, his teammates weren't in their best condition due to lack of rest. Even though their spirit was high, spirit alone couldn't make up for physical shortcomings.

Bruno himself was likely the fittest on the field. Although he hadn't slept well, his physical foundation was better than others, and he could still push through.

With his teammates struggling, Bruno knew he had to step up even more to cover for them.

"Bruno and Nani completed a one-two pass. Bruno is outside the box… shooting from distance—!!"

The ball whizzed towards the goal but flew just over the crossbar. Hugo Lloris didn't touch it, and it sailed out on its own.

"Every time Bruno appears near the penalty area, it makes the French players nervous. They all know how powerful his long-range shots are…"

Just as the commentator finished, Bruno unleashed another long-range shot!

This time, the ball was blocked by French center-back Umtiti, deflecting out for a corner kick.

Nani took the corner, and Bruno, lurking at the near post, headed towards the goal. Lloris, well-positioned, managed to save it. The ball dropped in the box, causing more chaos, until someone finally cleared it, ending Portugal's attack.

Seeing their team perform so poorly, the French fans in the stands began venting their anger at their players.

"What are you doing! Don't let those Portuguese show off in front of you!"

"We need to attack! Score a goal!"

The French players could hear the fans' criticism, but they were powerless. Faced with Portugal's relentless attacks, they had no answer.

In the 37th minute, France finally managed a dangerous attack. Two consecutive shots forced Patricio into difficult saves, earning them a corner.

Seeing some improvement in France's performance, the fans switched from boos to cheers, loudly supporting their team while continuing to boo and jeer Portugal.

This was France's first corner of the game, highlighting their struggles so far.

Umtiti and Koscielny, the center-backs, moved into Portugal's penalty area, ready to fight for the header.

Bruno dropped back to help defend. While he didn't want to enter halftime with just a 1-0 lead, he certainly didn't want to go in at 1-1 either.

Payet took the corner, but Bruno didn't get to it. Fonte cleared it before he could jump.

This gave Bruno a head start. Seeing Fonte head the ball out, he sprinted out of the box.

The ball landed at Nani's feet outside the box. Nani, with his back to the goal and a French player behind him, couldn't turn around.

Then he saw Bruno charging out of the box. It was like seeing a beacon of hope. Without hesitation, Nani passed the ball back to Bruno.

Bruno took the ball, faked a move to the right, causing France's Moussa Sissoko to slightly shift, and then burst through the gap.

Once past the crowded area, Bruno accelerated.

Now he was up against just two French players, full-backs Evra and Sagna.

Evra blocked his path, while Sagna marked Quaresma.

Meanwhile, Nani and Sanches sprinted forward. For a moment, Portugal had a four-on-two situation in the middle and front of the field.

"This is Portugal's counter-attack! A perfect scenario! Let's see how Bruno handles it. Any pass could be lethal!"

Nani and Sanches had almost reached the offside line, with no French players nearby. Quaresma sprinted forward, pushing Sagna back and preventing Nani and Sanches from being offside.

"Foul!!" Desperate cries from the French fans echoed through the stadium. It seemed the only way to stop the rampaging Portuguese player was to foul him.

The experienced Evra, who had just turned thirty-five last month, didn't attempt a tackle or foul. He knew Bruno's speed was too much, and trying to foul him would likely result in Bruno bypassing him completely.

Evra, having faced Bruno frequently in Serie A with Juventus, was well aware of his prowess.

With no other choice, Evra backed off, waiting for the right moment, hoping to stall Bruno until the penalty area where his teammates could catch up.

Bruno knew Evra's intentions, so he couldn't let it happen. He passed the ball to Nani on the wing.

Instead of passing directly to Nani's feet, Bruno played it ahead, allowing Nani to accelerate and lose his marker.

After passing, Bruno continued his sprint, heading straight for the penalty area.

Seeing the ball leave Bruno's feet, Evra shifted his focus to Nani.

At the same time, Sagna abandoned Quaresma to cover Nani on the wing.

Inside the box, Bruno raised his hands, signaling for a pass.

Nani, having just received the ball and taken two strides, saw Sagna closing in. He quickly crossed the ball into the box, past Sagna, towards the goal.

Bruno sprinted, timing his leap perfectly.

He soared higher than anyone else, leaving Hugo Lloris, Quaresma, and Evra in his wake.

In mid-air, Bruno seemed to be flying, untouchable.

Ball and man met. Bruno headed the ball with force.

With a dull thud, the ball rocketed towards the goal.

Lloris, who had planned to intercept the cross, misjudged the ball's trajectory and was caught off guard by Bruno's prolonged hang time.

He could only hope Bruno's header missed or hit the woodwork.

But that wasn't going to happen.

...

"GOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!"

"TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!!!!!"

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!"

"Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal, goal!!!!!!!!"

Commentators from around the world simultaneously erupted in shouts.

"2-0!"

"Incredible! Portugal leads France by two goals at their home ground!"

"In the 38th minute, Portugal scores again. Bruno gets his second! This is only the third time in European Championship history someone has scored twice in a final!"

"Bruno's header was so high it reminded me of Ronaldo!"

"Once known for his weak heading ability, Bruno has transformed into a super aerial threat! His leap and hang time can now be compared to Ronaldo, who left the match injured!"

"Is this really the exhausted Portuguese team? Or is Bruno just unaffected by it all?"

"It's unbelievable! France expected to thrash Portugal at home, but it looks like they're the ones at risk of being humiliated!"

...

French fans were shocked to see their team trailing by two goals before halftime.

Bruno's goal unfolded right before their eyes, each detail painfully clear. From his angled run into the box to his soaring header, they saw everything.

This only fueled their anger: What were our defenders doing?! Why is our defense so weak?!

After scoring, Bruno didn't taunt the crowd this time. The Stade de France fell almost silent, save for a few scattered boos. Many French fans chose to stay silent.

Their boos had lost their impact; now, their anger was directed at their own team.

...

Scoring twice, Bruno sprinted to the corner flag and held up two fingers to the crowd, signaling his two goals.

He was soon surrounded by teammates, who shouted and cheered with excitement.

"Did you really get woken up last night, Bruno?"

"I can vouch for it. He was definitely awake. But how are you so energetic now?"

"You're a beast!"

"Well done, Bruno! Haha! Let's score more!"

"Awesome, Bruno!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.