Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 256: Fooled Again!

"Beautiful play! Udinese displayed a dreamlike series of passes. Watching such fluid attacks is truly enjoyable!" praised commentator Jian Jun.

"Wolfsburg's defense was constantly being moved around. While they didn't make any obvious mistakes, they were always reacting to Udinese's rhythm," added commentator Zhang Lu.

Dieter Hecking, arms crossed, appeared calm. Not far from him, Udinese's coach Guidolin was celebrating with fist pumps and laughing, hugging and high-fiving his assistants. This provoked Wolfsburg's fans, who saw it as a provocative celebration, and they began booing loudly.

Guidolin paid no attention. He didn't consider Wolfsburg's fans so sensitive. Scoring a goal wasn't a valid reason to celebrate?

Guidolin kept his eyes on Wolfsburg's bench. Five minutes in and already down 0-1, what was Hecking thinking? How would he respond?

He noticed Hecking seemed calm but was actually pacing back and forth, a sign of underlying agitation.

...

Hecking replayed the goal in his mind as if watching a movie. During the goal, Wolfsburg's defenders had lost control, being led around like puppets, forced to react to Udinese's passes and movements.

Such a passive approach was unsustainable. Hecking was displeased and reflective: where exactly had Wolfsburg gone wrong?

Thereau-Widmer-Di Natale... Hecking felt he'd found the answer. Thereau was the pivot, Widmer's passes were the weapon, and Di Natale's finishing was the final strike. Hecking realized the cunning of Guidolin's strategy, which fully utilized Udinese's precise passing and Di Natale's positioning, with Thereau acting as the crucial pivot.

Guidolin had called over Wolfsburg's right-back Träsch, giving him instructions. Hecking observed this move, recognizing Guidolin's shrewdness in utilizing Thereau's pivotal role.

...

As the game resumed, Wolfsburg abandoned their defensive stance and launched aggressive attacks. Despite Udinese's anticipation of Wolfsburg's counterattack after conceding, they were caught off guard by the ferocity and determination of the German side's offensive.

For a while, Udinese struggled under Wolfsburg's relentless assault. Guidolin, standing on the sidelines, looked serious. Whether they could defend their goal depended on surviving this wave of attacks.

With the home crowd's thunderous support, Wolfsburg launched wave after wave of attacks. Yet, Udinese showed remarkable resilience and tenacity, especially Badu, who seemed omnipresent in defense, extinguishing threats like a firefighter.

In the 19th minute, Draxler attempted to dribble past Badu, feinting with his left foot before switching to his right to break through. But a leg appeared, intercepting the ball. The ball wasn't cleared far, and Caligiuri picked it up, only to have it blocked out of bounds by the same figure—Badu. After dispossessing Draxler, he immediately charged at Caligiuri.

"Great job!" Guidolin applauded on the sidelines, celebrating his protégé's tenacious defense.

Badu's ubiquitous presence in defense epitomized Guidolin's defensive overhaul at Udinese. While their defense wasn't impenetrable, it was resilient, gradually wearing down Wolfsburg's attacking energy like a file.

...

Wolfsburg had a throw-in. Träsch threw it in, and Gustavo combined with Draxler before crossing the ball into the box. Udinese's keeper Karnezis, familiar with Gustavo's style, anticipated the pass and claimed the ball.

Karnezis quickly initiated a counterattack with a throw to Maguire, who passed to Iturra. Iturra found Widmer, who sent a diagonal ball to Bruno. With his back to goal, Bruno smoothly controlled the ball, turned, and accelerated away from his marker.

"Brilliant! Bruno is in top form," exclaimed Jian Jun.

Bruno's fluid motion, from receiving the ball to accelerating past defenders, showcased his agility and explosive power.

Guilavogui chased after Bruno, aiming to dispossess him. Sensing the pressure, Bruno slowed slightly, baiting Guilavogui to make a challenge. As Guilavogui lunged, Bruno suddenly stopped, pulled the ball back with his right foot, then pushed it forward with his left, accelerating past Guilavogui.

...

"Excellent!"

"Open space!"

"Opportunity!"

Previously, Wolfsburg's defense was tight, with no gaps. But Bruno's run from his own half, outmaneuvering Rodríguez and Guilavogui, left Wolfsburg's central defense wide open.

"Counterattack!"

Like a starting gun, Adnan, Widmer, Di Natale, and Thereau all burst forward.

Guidolin jumped up from his seat, excitement, anticipation, and a hint of pride evident on his face.

"Stop him!" Hecking, shocked and desperate, rushed to the sideline, yelling hoarsely, "Get back!"

Hecking now fully realized that he'd been fooled. The real threat wasn't Thereau, Widmer, Di Natale, or Adnan on the left—it was Bruno, who had been playing deeper.

In Udinese, there was only one true core: Bruno Fernandes.

Frustrated and angry, Hecking berated himself for falling for Guidolin's tricks yet again.

(End of Chapter)

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