Chapter 350: Proving His Worth
Chapter 350: Proving His Worth
Bruno didn't pay attention to these small details; he was waving his hand to urge his teammates to press forward instead of falling back. Although possession had gone to the opposition, it was a throw-in rather than a goal kick. Therefore, Bruno chose to have the team press in the front field, forcing the opponents to make a mistake.
A tactical core on the field must act like a coach because he is the extension of the coach on the field. He must make his own decisions based on the constantly changing situation on the field. And Bruno is very good at making decisions.
From the first ten minutes of the match, he could see that Bournemouth, relying on their home advantage, were eager to attack, leaving opportunities in their defense. So, Manchester United utilized a high press to regain possession and exploit those defensive gaps.
Under his direction, his teammates pushed up, with even the fullbacks crossing the halfway line. Bruno himself also moved up the field.
Bournemouth threw in the ball, and Mata, still annoyed by the fans' earlier mockery, charged forward as soon as the ball was in play.
Bournemouth's left winger, Lewis Cook, tried to chest the ball down but failed to notice Mata closing in. Mata intercepted the ball!
Seeing Mata win the ball in the front, United's fans began to cheer excitedly: "Forward! Forward! Manchester United!"
With the fans' excited cheers, the whole United team sprang into action.
Bruno was the first to move, suddenly surging forward.
At the same time, fullback Valencia also dashed forward, looking to overlap. Bournemouth defender Daniels, seeing Valencia charging at him, changed his mind and retreated with Valencia.
Mata didn't pass to Valencia, as he was being marked. Instead, he looked for the best way to utilize the ball and saw Bruno signaling for it.
After a moment's hesitation, he passed the ball to Bruno.
He hadn't found any immediate opportunities, so he decided to see what Bruno could do.
Bruno, facing Mata's pass and the incoming Bournemouth defender Steve Cook, let the ball run past him, turning to follow it, leaving Cook behind.
Bruno then turned and simultaneously made a forward pass, completing a 360-degree spin, controlling, turning away from the defender, and passing the ball all in one fluid motion.
Bournemouth's defense hadn't expected Bruno to pass so decisively and cleverly. They assumed Bruno would control the ball, turn, and look for a passing opportunity. Instead, Bruno passed immediately during his turn, sending the ball through the gap left by the advancing Steve Cook, straight into the penalty area!
Mata had a clear view of the entire process.
When he had the ball, Steve Cook stayed back, so there wasn't such an obvious gap.
If Cook had rushed up when Mata had the ball, Mata could have made the same pass.
But how did Bruno know that Cook would rush up once he passed the ball to him?
Moreover, turning to evade the defender and passing at the same time, and accurately delivering the ball…
This level of passing is not something an ordinary player can achieve!
"Beautiful pass! Ah, beautiful!" the commentator exclaimed.
The pass was full of imagination and skill, deserving of such praise.
Mata then saw Martial appearing in the open space, receiving the ball. However, Bournemouth's other central defender, Adam Smith, quickly moved over to block Martial's shot.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth's goalkeeper Boruc also moved to the near post to block Martial's shot. But Martial didn't shoot; he swung his foot and passed the ball across the goal!
Ibrahimovic, arriving from behind, slid in and poked the ball into the empty net!
Upon seeing his team score, Mata's first reaction was surprise, not joy.
He widened his eyes, watching Ibrahimovic leap up from the ground, pulling his shirt and roaring. His other United teammates rushed to him, but one person ran towards Mata—it was Bruno.
"Great pass, Juan," he said, extending his hand.
Mata reflexively extended his hand, and Bruno slapped it.
"Bruno's pass… so beautiful. How did he think of that? Martial has the ball! He passes across… Ibrahimovic! Zlatan Ibrahimovic! GOOOOOAL!!!"
"Manchester United scores! This is Ibrahimovic's first Premier League goal! He has scored in two consecutive matches!"
After Ibrahimovic's goal, the initially smaller number of United fans erupted in cheers, overwhelming the home Bournemouth supporters.
The Manchester United fans in the stands were celebrating and cheering wildly. It was their new signing, star player Ibrahimovic's first league goal for United, and in his first Premier League match, they had every reason to be so excited.
The United bench and coaching staff on the sidelines were similarly elated.
When Mourinho saw Bruno's turn and pass to the empty space, he stood up from his seat, predicting what would happen next.
Martial received the ball unmarked and passed it to Ibrahimovic, who scored into the empty net…
When this scene played out, Mourinho clenched his fist in triumph.
The most brilliant and crucial part of this attack was Bruno's maneuver, where he turned, let the ball run, and evaded the defender.
Not only that, but he also drew out the opposing center-back, disrupting their defense and creating space.
Most importantly, he didn't just create the space; he exploited it to set up the goal.
This is why Mourinho had always wanted Bruno.
This is the value of the first two-hundred-million-euro player in football history!
With their confidence boosted by the lead, United continued to dominate the game.
Bruno's performance in midfield became even more solid, controlling the tempo and contributing defensively.
Bournemouth initially tried to exploit the space left by Bruno's forward runs for counterattacks, but Bruno repeatedly tracked back to intercept, making them abandon this plan.
To Bournemouth's players, Bruno seemed omnipresent. One moment he was attacking, the next he was defending.
He could appear anywhere on the pitch as needed.
It wasn't magic. TV broadcasts and spectators saw Bruno constantly sprinting back and forth, using his stamina wisely and maintaining a good pace.
Another unseen aspect was Bruno's tactical awareness, allowing him to choose the right actions and routes, avoiding unnecessary runs.
Though constantly moving, he never wasted energy and always made a difference.
(End of Chapter)
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