Chapter 628: Bruno and Portugal's Predicament
After Bruno was effectively neutralized, the French team launched wave after wave of attacks on Portugal's goal, each more ferocious than the last.
Finally, in the 26th minute, France capitalized on a chance created by dispossessing Bruno, catching Portugal completely off guard with a swift counterattack.
At that moment, Bruno had possession and was preparing to launch an attack. However, in a controversial challenge from Paul Pogba, Bruno was tackled and fell to the ground, losing the ball.
Instead of immediately trying to intercept Pogba, William Carvalho raised his hand to protest to the referee, claiming it was a foul. This delay allowed Pogba to surge forward with the ball.
The lapse in midfield left Portugal's defensive line vulnerable. João Moutinho and João Mário both rushed in to challenge Pogba, who cleverly exploited the gap they left by passing the ball forward.
Pogba played a one-two with Giroud, who returned the ball after drawing the defenders' attention. Now positioned just outside the penalty arc, Pogba unleashed a thunderous shot that rocketed into the net.
France had equalized!
The French fans erupted into deafening cheers, while Pogba sprinted to the corner flag, gesturing triumphantly to his supporters.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese players surrounded the referee, arguing that Pogba's tackle leading to the goal was a foul.
"That should have been a foul! That goal shouldn't count!" Ronaldo shouted furiously.
Bruno, however, didn't join the protests or make excuses. Standing just outside the group, he hung his head.
Whether Pogba's tackle was a foul or not, Bruno knew his own performance leading up to the turnover was lackluster. He had failed to find a solution to the relentless pressure and had ultimately lost the ball, leading to France's successful counterattack.
...
The TV cameras zoomed in on Bruno's downcast face for six long seconds.
The commentator remarked, "Bruno's opening goal brought joy to Portugal's fans, but since then, he has been tightly marked by the French team, unable to play at his usual level. This turnover directly resulted in France's equalizer.
"Bruno is the heart of Portugal's midfield, contributing to over half of their goals, whether directly or indirectly. When his performance falters, so does Portugal's. The Portuguese media has aptly nicknamed him 'The Heart of Portugal.' When this heart stumbles, the entire team suffocates, even risks dying."
Back in Portugal, enraged fans flooded social media, accusing the referee of favoritism.
"F**k! That was obviously a foul! How could he let that slide? Damn Argentinian ref!"
Accusations of the referee being biased were rampant among Portuguese fans. However, no amount of online outrage could undo the reality of France's equalizing goal.
...
When play resumed, Bruno still couldn't find a way out of his predicament. Most of his passes were short and unthreatening, with hardly any incisive forward balls.
France, having tasted success with their defensive strategy, doubled down on their efforts.
When Bruno received the ball, he found himself immediately crowded. Pushing Kanté off with one hand, he gestured to his teammates to come closer for support. But the French defenders' physicality and pressure made accurate passes nearly impossible.
As Bruno momentarily shifted his focus to organizing an attack, Kanté seized the opportunity to intercept the ball. Bruno, attempting to shield it, inadvertently nudged the ball just enough to provoke Kanté into a mistimed tackle that struck his ankle. Bruno crumpled to the ground in pain.
Kanté, showing no hesitation, ignored his fallen former teammate and lunged for the ball.
This time, the referee finally blew his whistle, signaling a foul against Kanté.
Ronaldo immediately approached the referee, demanding a yellow card for the foul—or perhaps even a red.
However, referee Néstor Pitana dismissed the appeal with a warning to Kanté and nothing more.
Kanté shrugged nonchalantly and jogged away.
Bruno gingerly got up, rubbing his ankle where Kanté's boot had landed. The pain was sharp but manageable, and he sighed in relief when he realized the injury wasn't serious.
But the pattern was clear: French players were employing subtle fouls to wear Bruno down—kicking his ankles, bumping his thighs, sweeping his legs. By comparison, shirt-pulling seemed like child's play.
Their objective was obvious: deny Bruno any comfort on the ball, using any means necessary.
...
France's players managed these fouls with precision. Despite numerous infringements, they avoided yellow cards, leaving Portuguese fans frustrated but unable to change the flow of the game.
Bruno struggled to hold onto possession or establish a rhythm for Portugal. The connections between him and his teammates were severed by France's disruptive tactics. On rare occasions when Bruno did create a chance, his teammates failed to capitalize.
In the 35th minute, Bruno finally found a momentary opening.
Taking advantage of a slight lapse by Kanté, Bruno used a feint to escape his marker. As Kanté stumbled, Bruno surged forward. Pogba rushed to close him down, but Bruno delivered a piercing through ball to Bernardo Silva just in time.
Bernardo cut inside and dribbled into the box before unleashing a shot—only to see it soar over the crossbar.
Hands on his head, Bernardo Silva was visibly frustrated by the miss, as was Bruno. It was the best opportunity Portugal had created since their early goal.
But Bruno refrained from criticizing his teammate. After all, he hadn't created many chances himself.
...
"Bernardo Silva cuts inside! He shoots—over the bar! What a missed opportunity. This was Portugal's best chance since their opening goal," lamented the Portuguese commentator.
"Bruno finally shook off France's marking to orchestrate an attack, but Bernardo couldn't finish it…"
Bernardo turned back toward Bruno, giving him a thumbs-up to acknowledge the excellent pass.
The French commentator, however, praised Deschamps' strategy:
"This sequence only reinforces the brilliance of Deschamps' plan. Even with just one opportunity, Bruno nearly broke through. Imagine if he had been given more freedom—Portugal would have already taken the lead again."
If Bruno had heard this, he would have responded with a bitter smile.
That missed chance seemed to drain Portugal of their remaining luck.
Before the half ended, France capitalized on another lapse in concentration from the Portuguese defense.
In the 45th minute, Hernández broke down the left wing and crossed the ball into the center. Positioned just outside the box, Mbappé unleashed a precise strike into the bottom-left corner.
France had turned the game around, leading 2-1 as halftime approached.
This time, Bruno bore no responsibility for the goal. Yet, standing on the pitch, he couldn't help but feel dejected.
What had started as a dream beginning had descended into a nightmare. In just 45 minutes, Portugal had gone from leading to trailing, unable to cope with France's targeted strategy.
As the team's orchestrator, Bruno couldn't escape the weight of responsibility for their struggles.
...
"Halftime! After falling behind early, France roared back with two goals to take the lead. What an incredible first half!"
But Portuguese fans didn't share the commentators' enthusiasm. When the whistle blew, many sat in stunned silence, shaking their heads in disappointment.
Bruno trudged off the pitch, head bowed. Somewhere in the stadium, boos rang out.
He wasn't sure if they were directed at him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were.
This was the World Cup final—the stage where legends were made. But for Bruno, it felt like his greatest failure.
As he sat in the locker room, removing his dirt-streaked jersey, his mind remained fixated on the first half.
This wasn't just one match; it was his career, his legacy.
Was he destined to falter in every decisive moment?
No. He refused to accept that.
The World Cup final wouldn't be his Waterloo.
(END CHAPTER)
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