Chapter 175: Free Kick
After defeating Palermo and securing Udinese's second place in Serie A, Bruno left Italy because the next two weeks were slated for international matches. During this international break, Portugal faced two matches.
The first was a home game against Armenia for the fourth round of the Euro qualifiers. After this match, Portugal would head north to England to face Argentina at Old Trafford. Although it was just a friendly, the match drew significant interest due to the face-off between Messi and Ronaldo.
The match against Armenia began at 7:45 PM local time on November 14. Veteran Bosingwa returned to international duty for the first time in four years, while Guerrero debuted for the national team. Pepe partnered with Carvalho as center-backs, with Bruno starting in midfield alongside André Gomes and William Carvalho. The attacking trident was composed of Ronaldo, Danny, and Postiga.
Portugal started strong, pressuring Armenia but missed several opportunities to score. Danny shot off target, Thiago headed over from a Bruno free-kick, and Ronaldo's 25-yard free kick was blocked.
Armenia had their first chance at the 15th minute when Mkhitaryan was fouled by Carvalho just outside the box, earning Carvalho a yellow card. Mkhitaryan's direct free kick penetrated the wall but was heroically saved by Patricio.
The game continued with Portugal dominating at home, though Armenia's counter-attacks were also threatening, particularly those led by Mkhitaryan from Dortmund. However, it was Bruno who scored first for Portugal in the 43rd minute with a long shot from the top of the box, breaking through Armenia's defenses and putting Portugal ahead.
Portugal entered the halftime break with a 1-0 lead, easing some of their pressure.
In the second half, Portugal continued to press but struggled to extend their lead. After 60 minutes, Santos made successive substitutions; Éder came on for Postiga, and Quaresma replaced Danny, with Ronaldo moving to the center-forward position.
Portugal widened their lead in the 71st minute. Bruno sent a through ball from the flank, and Quaresma's acute angle shot was barely saved by Berezovsky. Voskanyan failed to clear the rebound promptly, allowing Bruno to poke the ball towards the goal, where Ronaldo was positioned to finish it from close range.
This goal marked Ronaldo's 23rd in the Euro qualifiers and finals, surpassing Thomassen and Suk to become the competition's all-time leading scorer.
Despite Éder's missed opportunities, Portugal ultimately secured a 2-0 victory over Armenia at home, maintaining their lead in the group with three consecutive wins.
After their victory against Armenia, the Portuguese team traveled north to England. Upon arriving in Manchester, they were greeted as if they were the home team, all thanks to Ronaldo. Despite leaving Manchester United five years prior, he was still dearly loved by the Red Devils' fans. Whenever Ronaldo touched the ball at Old Trafford, cheers filled the stadium.
As for Messi, he was not welcomed at Old Trafford, perhaps due to the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo or the historical tension between Manchester United and Barcelona. Every time Messi got the ball, he faced jeers from the fans.
However, neither Ronaldo nor Messi were the protagonists of the match as both played only the first half in their first national team face-off.
The real standout of the match was someone aiming to become the future king of Old Trafford. Since Bruno was a recent addition to the Portuguese national team and part of Santos's plan as a midfield commander, Santos decided to give him more playtime to build chemistry with the team.
Bruno was one of the few Portuguese players to play the full game and did not disappoint Santos. He quickly adapted to the match and his teammates' playing style. With Bruno orchestrating from midfield, Portugal was not overshadowed by Argentina and even dominated as the game progressed into the second half.
Despite the friendly nature of the match, which meant constant player rotations affecting the fluidity of the game, the score remained unchanged until the 81st minute. Then, a series of quick passes between Nani, who had come on as a substitute, and Bruno broke the deadlock, with Bruno scoring from just inside the box.
This goal was met with applause at Old Trafford, both for the skillful build-up and because Nani, a former Manchester United player still cherished by the fans, was involved.
Portugal sealed their victory with another goal during stoppage time. In the first minute of added time, Bruno distributed the ball to Quaresma on the right flank, who crossed for Guerrero to head home from close range.
Portugal ended the match with a 2-0 victory over Argentina, breaking Argentina's 42-year unbeaten streak against Portugal and extending their own winning streak to five games.
As the international break concluded and Bruno returned to Italy, he quickly faced another Serie A match. In the 45th minute of the first half, Dinatale put Udinese ahead, but Radovanovic equalized for Chievo in the 74th minute. Despite intense pressure from Udinese, they struggled to find the back of the net again.
With Udinese's improving performance attracting more international players, the impact of the "FIFA virus" was becoming increasingly evident.
In the 92nd minute, with just one minute left in the game, Udinese won a free kick in the attacking half.
The cameras focused on Bruno as he calmly stepped back, intently looking ahead, searching for that elusive feeling of perfection.
The referee prepared the scene, and since the distance was significant, Chievo did not set up a tight wall, anticipating an indirect free kick instead.
As the referee blew the whistle, Udinese players started their runs, drawing defensive attention. Bruno took a deep breath, charged forward, and swung his right foot, sending the ball flying towards the goal.
The Udinese fans in the stadium roared, but the sound of the kick was still distinctly audible.
"Ah, Bruno's direct free kick…"
The ball sped from Bruno's foot, its arc low and fast, a powerful strike. Chievo's goalkeeper, alert to the threat, made a quick decision to dive.
The shot was fast and direct, and the goalkeeper was confident of making the save. But as he committed to the dive, the ball unexpectedly dipped just slightly.
This tiny, almost imperceptible change was enough to throw off his timing. What seemed a certain save turned into a misjudgment.
However, experienced as he was, the goalkeeper tried to adjust but was ultimately unable to prevent the ball from sneaking under his hands and into the net.
It was a goal!
"Goal!!! It's in!!!"
"My God, a direct free kick from thirty-three meters out, and it's in!!!"
"Bruno! From Bruno, a long-range missile has just breached Chievo's defenses!"
Everyone at the venue was stunned before bursting into ecstatic cheers. Bruno himself could hardly believe it; he knew he had struck the ball perfectly, but the goalkeeper's initial reaction had obscured his view.
It wasn't until he saw the goalkeeper on the ground, the ball not in his arms, that Bruno's excitement erupted. He sprinted along the pitchside stands, his name echoing around him, celebrated for a spectacular free kick from thirty-three meters.
Some say you're not a master unless you've scored from over thirty meters out. With this goal, Bruno felt he might just qualify as one.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 176: From the Bench's Perspective
After a narrow victory over Chievo, the entire Udinese team flew to Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, to prepare for their fifth-round Champions League group stage match against Ludogorets.
Since Ludogorets' home stadium, the Ludogorets Arena, only seats 8,000 and does not meet the Champions League requirements, their home games were held at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia.
With Udinese already having secured their spot in the next round two matches earlier, coach Guidolin wasn't overly concerned about this group stage match and made significant changes to the starting lineup, leaving captain Di Natale behind in Italy. Bruno, although part of the traveling squad, was likely to start on the bench.
On the evening of the match, Udinese held a pre-match meeting where Guidolin announced the starting lineup. The goalkeeper was Scuffet; the defense comprised Urtu, Maguire, Bubonjic, and Piris; in midfield, Kante played deep, with Badu and Pjanic centrally; up front were Muriel, Tyro, and Aguirre.
Bruno's participation, specifically the timing of his entry, would depend on how the match unfolded, but he was expected to play in the second half.
On the match day, after breakfast, Udinese held a tactical meeting focused on the set-pieces, with Guidolin meticulously planning each player's role. Following the meeting, everyone conducted light recovery training in the park adjacent to the hotel. After lunch, rest, and afternoon tea, they headed to the stadium for final preparations.
The Vasil Levski National Stadium, similar in size to Udinese's Friuli Stadium with a capacity of 43,000, had a low attendance rate. This was partly because Ludogorets' hometown of Razgrad is 350 kilometers away and only a small supermarket town with a limited population. Bruno noticed only about half the seats were filled.
After warming up, the team returned to the locker room in silence. Guidolin entered and began the pre-game pep talk: "Alright, everyone, I won't say much. Everything that needed to be said has been said, and we're prepared."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Even though the club has already qualified for the next round, let's not take this match lightly. We still need to compete with Real Madrid for the top spot in our group, which will decide our opponents in the knockout phase."
His words visibly boosted everyone's morale.
"But, let's not feel pressured. Just enjoy the game, give it your all, and leave no regrets. That will be enough."
After his speech, Guidolin embraced each player set to take the field.
"The players are now walking out led by the referee," the broadcast began. "We're about to kick off the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League Group B round five match."
The commentators introduced Udinese's lineup: "Goalkeeper Scuffet; defenders from left to right are Urtu, Bubonjic, Maguire, and Piris. The midfielders are Badu, Kante, and Pjanic, with Muriel, Tyro, and Aguirre upfront."
"It's clear that with qualification already secured, Guidolin has rotated the Udinese squad significantly. Only Kante is a starting midfielder, while central figure Bruno is on the bench, and captain Di Natale isn't even in the squad."
"For the home team, they fielded nearly their strongest lineup since Ludogorets are only four points behind Real Madrid and still have a chance to advance from the group, or at least compete with Basel for third place to enter the Europa League."
The game began with Udinese opting for a conservative approach but not too defensively deep, maintaining a compact three-line formation. On the road, they decided to counter. Even a draw would be acceptable for Udinese under these circumstances.
Ludogorets controlled the ball but only found their first gap in the third minute when Espinho made a through pass into the box that Abalo chased. Udinese's goalkeeper Scuffet was quick off his line to smother the ball.
Udinese also launched a counter-attack, sending a long ball to Tyro, who was tripped by Diakov while advancing. The referee called the foul, awarding Udinese a free kick near the front, but no card was issued.
The first half ended goalless as both teams played cautiously without creating significant chances.
At the halftime whistle, Bruno quickly stood up from the bench and jogged to the sideline. The players from both teams were visibly exhausted as they walked off the field, high-fiving Bruno and other substitutes before heading to the locker room.
Bruno and the others stayed to warm up on the field. The first half had been stagnant, with neither team taking many risks. Ludogorets, in particular, were very conservative, a tactic that had served them well in reaching the Champions League proper.
In contrast, Udinese was more active, especially on the wings with Urtu and Piris looking lively. Coach Guidolin knew his defense was fragile despite their early qualification and kept a tight rein on his players to maintain a solid defensive line.
(End of Chapter)