Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 457: We Are Not in a Hurry

Such examples are not only found in smaller leagues like the Eredivisie and Primeira Liga but also in the top five European leagues. In Serie A, Parma was once one of the Seven Sisters of Italian football, enjoying a period of glory before being picked apart by stronger clubs. Buffon went to Juventus, Cannavaro to Inter Milan, Thuram to Juventus, Amoruso to Borussia Dortmund, Conceição to Inter Milan, Crespo to Chelsea, Di Vaio to Juventus, and Verón to Manchester United. This team, which had accumulated decades of good fortune, saw a generation of talent scattered, leading to their decline.

In the Premier League, West Ham United serves as a similar example. The most talented generation in West Ham's history, featuring players like Ferdinand, Lampard, Carrick, Joe Cole, and Defoe, was picked clean within three years, leading to the club's relegation. Although they have since returned to the Premier League and occasionally cause upsets, their glory days are behind them.

The most recent example is Leicester City. The team that achieved the "Foxes' Miracle" by winning the Premier League saw its key players targeted by major clubs. Although their owner managed to keep most players, the departure of defensive stalwart Kante to Manchester United led to a significant decline in their performance. Their celebrated coach Ranieri resigned due to poor results.

It's clear that as Leicester's performance continues to slide, more key players will leave, and within a year or two, the once miraculous team will lose its shine.

This harsh reality now faces Ajax. After a decade of building, they have reached the Europa League final, with hopes of winning their second Europa League title. However, in the eyes of many European giants, Ajax is not an emerging powerhouse but a feast waiting to be devoured. These clubs are ready with their knives and forks.

Manchester United, being a top club, has avoided this fate. Otherwise, with their outstanding performance this season, their stars would also face the risk of being poached.

...

The second half of the match had begun.

At the sound of the whistle, Manchester United launched a fierce attack, catching Ajax off guard. Ajax's coach Bosz had anticipated an offensive from United but was unprepared for such an all-out assault.

Kante passed the ball to Bruno, who was moving forward and drawing Ajax defenders' attention. Bruno then passed to Mata and continued his run, confusing Ajax's defense.

Mata, using the brief distraction created by Bruno, assessed the situation. Bruno was in the center, Gundogan was on the right, and Rashford was upfront, signaling for the ball.

Without much thought, Mata flicked the ball to the left, aiming for Bruno.

Bruno, ready to receive, found Ajax's Riedewald coming to defend. Feigning a trap, Bruno flicked the ball behind him, and Darmian surged forward into the space left by Riedewald.

...

"Beautiful play! Mata's long pass, Bruno and Darmian's coordination! A chance for Manchester United."

Darmian's advance caused chaos in Ajax's defense. Attracting two defenders, he passed the ball before being closed down.

Rashford, positioned at the near post, let the ball slip through to Bruno, who drove into the box.

Rashford's dummy threw Ajax's defense into disarray. Left-back Veltman, who had moved to cover Rashford, could only watch as Bruno charged into the box.

Ajax's center-back De Ligt came to cover but was wary of making a tackle in the box. He shadowed Bruno, hoping to force him into a poor angle.

Bruno slowed down, feigning a shot. De Ligt didn't bite, but when Bruno lifted his leg again, De Ligt braced for a pass. Bruno exploited the opening, firing a shot between De Ligt's legs.

The ball zipped past De Ligt and Ajax's keeper Onana, rebounding off the inside of the post into the net!

...

"GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!"

"What a fantastic goal! A powerful shot from a tight angle! Bruno Fernandes scores to make it 2-0! Manchester United extends their lead!"

The cheers at the Friends Arena reached a crescendo.

On the sidelines, emotions ran high.

"Damn it!" Bosz leapt from his seat, furious.

He acknowledged the goal's beauty but was incensed by the early second-half setback. His halftime strategies were now nullified.

"Well done!" Mourinho applauded, then turned to his assistant Faria, "Looks like our halftime plans need changing."

Faria glanced at the enraged Bosz, doubting whether the hot-tempered Ajax coach would refrain from punching someone if he heard Mourinho's comment.

"There was no way to predict Bruno could score from that angle," Faria's assistant consoled him.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Bosz fumed.

His assistant, puzzled, thought, It's just one goal. The second half has just started, and there's plenty of time left. It's not the end of the world.

...

Mourinho observed Bosz and had a thought.

"What do you think?" Mourinho asked.

"Bosz is very anxious," Faria replied.

"Indeed," Mourinho said, "losing a goal is frustrating, but he seems to be losing control."

Bosz's overreaction revealed his lack of confidence in leading his team to victory. Remembering Bosz's confident declarations in the Dutch media, Mourinho felt even more certain of his assessment: truly confident individuals seldom boast and are often humble, like himself.

Originally, Mourinho planned to continue attacking after the 2-0 lead to secure the victory, but he changed his mind. He instructed his team to switch to a defensive counterattack strategy.

"We're not in a hurry," Mourinho told captain Bruno, "Ajax is the one that needs to worry now."

...

Fifteen minutes later, the score remained 2-0 in United's favor.

"Manchester United's defense is solid. Ajax is trying everything but can't find a way to score," said Rio Ferdinand. "Kante has been outstanding. Despite Bruno and Gundogan scoring, Kante is United's standout performer."

At that moment, Schöne passed to Klaassen, who was immediately tackled from behind. The ball was poked away, and the tackler, body in front, shielded it.

"Beautiful! Textbook tackle," Lineker shouted.

"Smart play by Kante! Here comes another United counterattack," Ferdinand praised. Kante could have drawn a foul for a free kick but saw the chance for a counterattack and quickly passed the ball.

Mata received the ball and passed it straight to Bruno. Bruno, anticipating the move, flicked it to Rashford.

As the ball rolled towards Rashford, Sanchez closed in. Rashford, aware of the defender, pretended not to notice.

When the ball reached him, Rashford backheeled it while using Sanchez as a pivot to spin away in the opposite direction.

(End of the chapter)

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10