Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 249: Bruno's Growing Confidence

Over the weekend, Udinese faced Empoli at home in the fourth round of Serie A. As a promoted team last season, Empoli managed to stay up but struggled in their first three games this season, with one draw and two losses.

Udinese had been under a lot of strain lately. Many of their international players had traveled long distances to represent their countries, and upon returning, they had to face tough matches against Lazio and Manchester United. Everyone was physically and mentally exhausted, so Guidolin made some rotations for this game.

In defense, Maguire was benched, with Heurtaux and Danilo pairing up as center-backs, and Cancelo and Piris playing as full-backs. The midfield featured Widmer, Badu, and Kone, with Iturra on the bench. Bruno played as an attacking midfielder, while Thereau was also benched, and Di Natale and Zapata partnered up front.

Despite Empoli's limited strength, Guidolin dared not rest Bruno. If Udinese aimed to compete for the Serie A title, they needed to secure all three points against teams like Empoli, rather than saving energy for tough matches against the likes of Juventus and Roma. Empoli, desperate for a win after a poor start, would undoubtedly fight hard at the Stadio Friuli. Guidolin felt uneasy without Bruno, his heavy artillery.

The match's progression confirmed his concerns.

...

Right after kickoff, Udinese quickly gained control with their midfield advantage, launching several attacks. Bruno wasn't overly aggressive, following Guidolin's pre-match instructions to conserve his energy for the long haul. Unlike Di Natale, Zapata, and Widmer, who pressed actively, Bruno's presence alone was enough to keep Empoli's defense on high alert. Even if he appeared to be moving slowly, Empoli's defenders were wary of his sudden bursts.

This psychological intimidation was significant. If Bruno exerted maximum effort every game, he would need rest. The dressing room fully supported this approach, with players like Di Natale urging Bruno to conserve energy while they did the running. Although Bruno didn't exert himself excessively, he still managed to create Udinese's first real threat in the 10th minute. Dropping back to receive the ball, he turned and delivered a diagonal pass to the right, where Zapata quickly crossed it, but Di Natale shot high.

This reminded Empoli that even a seemingly passive Bruno could instantly become lethal. However, Bruno was not one to ignore the bigger picture.

...

Udinese's initial aggressive push didn't yield results and instead led to a counterattack from Empoli. In the 17th minute, Empoli's central pass allowed Paredes to score, giving Empoli the lead.

This goal significantly boosted Empoli's morale and dealt a blow to Udinese, who had been attacking for seventeen minutes without success. Yet, just two minutes later, Bruno equalized for Udinese. Heurtaux intercepted the ball in defense and sent a long pass to the left, where Bruno quickly caught up, dribbled past two players, and passed to Di Natale. Di Natale's lob found Zapata, who scored with a header, marking his first goal for Udinese.

Four minutes later, Bruno intercepted the ball again, turned, and advanced before making a diagonal pass to the right. Widmer crossed back to the center, where Di Natale unleashed a powerful 25-meter shot, scoring again to make it 2-1.

With this comeback, Udinese was ecstatic, especially Di Natale, who ran to celebrate with Bruno. This was Di Natale's 231st Serie A goal, bringing him closer to Totti, who had 243 goals.

...

In the second half, Empoli launched several attacks, especially down the flanks, while focusing on defending against Bruno in the middle. In the 58th minute, Udinese countered, with Di Natale setting up Zapata on the right. Zapata made a long run and crossed to Bruno, who calmly scored to make it 3-1.

Guidolin quickly substituted Bruno with Adnan. In the 72nd minute, Kone received a second yellow card and was sent off, forcing Udinese to play with ten men for the last twenty minutes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Udinese held on, conceding only in injury time but still winning 3-2.

In the post-match press conference, Guidolin expressed satisfaction with the result despite the challenges. He emphasized that the team achieved their pre-match objectives through collective effort.

Empoli's coach, Marco Giampaolo, admitted that Udinese won because of their two world-class stars. "Bruno and Antonio are world-class players. Bruno, in particular, was a constant threat, making it difficult for us to focus on our game. His touches, though few, were highly effective. We couldn't find a way to stop him other than fouling."

Despite Bruno's contributions, Di Natale was named Man of the Match for his tireless efforts. UEFA's assessment noted that Bruno played seriously for only about ten minutes but still managed to create two goals for Udinese, with his second-half goal appearing almost casual.

...

In midweek, Udinese hosted AC Milan in the fifth round of Serie A. Despite Milan's storied history, there was little doubt that Udinese could secure a home win.

AC Milan had spent €95 million in the summer transfer window and brought in Balotelli on loan from Liverpool. However, their performance had been underwhelming, with two wins and two losses, placing them tenth in the standings. In contrast, Udinese, with four straight wins, were top of the league and clearly in better form.

The match began with Udinese launching wave after wave of attacks. Following last weekend's game, Guidolin rotated his squad again. Veteran Domizzi started at left-back, Cancelo returned to the right, and Maguire and Danilo were the center-backs. The midfield trio of Badu, Iturra, and Adnan supported Bruno as an attacking midfielder, while Thereau and Di Natale led the attack.

Just two minutes into the match, Cancelo combined with Bruno on the right. Bruno was fouled, earning Udinese a free-kick from 36 meters out.

...

The distance was too great for a direct shot, so most assumed it would be an indirect free-kick. However, as Di Natale and Iturra approached to discuss the play, Bruno waved them off. "I'll take it," he said.

"Directly?" Di Natale and Iturra were incredulous. The distance and angle seemed impossible.

But Bruno was undeterred. He positioned the ball, carefully wiped it clean, and meticulously prepared the grass beneath it. He then counted his steps backward.

The crowd noticed Bruno's intentions and erupted in cheers.

"Is Bruno really going to shoot directly?"

"The difficulty is immense. This is 36 meters out, and the angle is tough. Even with the signal given to AC Milan's players, it's a massive challenge."

Despite the skepticism, Udinese's players remained unfazed. Thereau even joked from a distance, "Hey Bruno, if you can't score, just aim for my head!"

Bruno waved him off, signaling for silence.

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