Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 312: Waiting in Silence

"Beautiful!" praised the Portuguese commentator as Cancelo stopped, dribbled the ball, and delivered a pass.

As Smalling rushed in, Cancelo passed the ball, not to Bruno or Rafa Silva in the penalty area, but to Nani, who was sprinting to the edge of the penalty box.

Nani received the ball and feigned a direct shot. Cahill rushed to block the shot, but Nani's shot was a decoy, and he passed the ball to João Mário on the left.

"João Mário! He's open!" exclaimed the commentator.

England's right-back, Kyle Walker, had been marking João Mário. Seeing the ball passed to João Mário, Walker rushed to press him, trying to prevent a shot.

However, João Mário didn't shoot either. He received Nani's pass without hesitation and pushed the ball horizontally.

"Bruno Fernandes!" shouted Lineker excitedly.

In the chaos, Bruno emerged from Rooney's side. In the penalty area, he received the ball without being offside. England's defenders were confused by Portugal's quick passing and didn't mark Bruno.

The ball rolled to Bruno, who glanced at England's goalkeeper Joe Hart, who was rushing out. Bruno feigned a powerful shot to the top corner, but at the last moment, he changed to a low shot.

The ball skimmed the grass, fast and hidden. Joe Hart, already committed to the high save, realized too late and could only watch as the ball sped into the net.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLL!!!!" roared the commentator.

"A low shot! Beautiful—goal! Bruno Fernandes scores! In the 69th minute, Portugal scores at New Wembley, breaking the deadlock against England with a sudden, risky attack that paid off with a perfect goal!"

"This goal feels like a heavy stone on the hearts of the England players. The balance of the game has shifted," remarked Gary Neville.

On the pitch, the Portuguese players celebrated excitedly.

...

The game resumed with a kickoff at midfield.

"Should we substitute Alli?" asked the assistant coach to Hodgson.

Alli had failed to break through twice, clearly showing signs of fatigue.

Hodgson decided to keep Alli on the pitch.

But not substituting Alli didn't mean no adjustments. Hodgson brought on Sterling for Vardy and Wilshere for Milner.

Clearly, this was an offensive change. Even though it was a friendly, Hodgson didn't want to lose at home.

With more attacking players, England's midfield interception weakened. Santos considered replacing a defensive midfielder to enhance the attack but resisted the temptation. Instead, he brought on André Gomes for João Mário, reinforcing the midfield with a solid defensive trio: Danilo Pereira, Adrien Silva, and André Gomes.

Hodgson, seeing Santos' defensive substitution, was slightly disappointed. He hoped Portugal would weaken their defense to strengthen their attack.

Despite trailing 0-1 with over 20 minutes remaining, Hodgson believed England still had a chance to equalize or even win.

But as the game progressed, it became clear that England's comeback was unlikely.

...

Trailing 0-1, Bruno's goal seemed to crush England's spirit. The players became anxious and demoralized.

Facing Portugal's stronger defense, England's attacks faltered. They appeared more frantic and confused after two unsuccessful attacks.

For instance, Sterling, after receiving the ball, ignored Harry Kane's raised hand and continued to dribble forward until Cancelo tackled the ball out of play.

Hodgson shouted instructions from the sidelines, clearly aware of his players' frustration and confusion.

Portugal, meanwhile, calmly controlled the ball with quick, skillful passes, leaving the England players chasing shadows.

With England chasing the ball, Portugal's players calmly passed it around, frustrating England's attempts to regain possession. Wilshere eventually fouled Nani, giving Portugal a legitimate reason to delay the game.

Nani rolled on the ground in apparent agony, acting as if his leg was broken. The Portuguese players efficiently divided tasks: some checked on Nani, others called for the medical team, while Bruno confronted Wilshere angrily.

Rooney quickly intervened, not wanting Wilshere to get into trouble. Portugal's captain Carvalho complained to the referee about the foul, while André Gomes faced off with Harry Kane, both stepping forward and back without actual fighting. Alves confronted Alli, but Walker pulled Alli away, challenging Alves himself.

Both teams' players argued and pushed each other as the referee and linesmen intervened to stop the conflict.

Santos angrily shouted at Hodgson, "Look at your player's foul!"

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do," Hodgson retorted, pointing at his watch.

"Rough foul. Some sportsmanship," Santos sneered.

"Time-wasting cowards," Hodgson snapped back.

...

"The players are in conflict!" the Portuguese commentator shouted, his excitement evident.

The medical team checked on Nani, signaling Santos to make a substitution.

"F**K!" Santos cursed.

With the European Championship approaching, losing an important player like Nani to injury was bad news. Frustrated, Santos substituted Nani with Quaresma.

Santos fumed, and Hodgson was also upset. England's veteran center-back Cahill, in a scuffle with Portugal's captain Carvalho, had been shown a second yellow card and was sent off.

This red card was a heavy blow to England.

Santos brightened, silently praising Carvalho. The experienced defender had provoked Cahill into a rash reaction.

Santos quickly substituted Adrien with the speedy Renato Sanches. Hodgson reluctantly replaced Harry Kane with Maguire to maintain the defense.

...

This substitution was criticized post-match. Needing a goal, Hodgson replaced a forward with a defender, showing a lack of attacking resolve.

In the final moments, Portugal used Sanches' speed to challenge England's defense. The 18-year-old overwhelmed left-back Danny Rose, forcing Maguire to foul him.

Just as the referee blew the final whistle, the match ended.

"The game is over. Portugal wins 1-0 at Wembley, with Bruno scoring the decisive goal! This marks Portugal's 10th consecutive unbeaten match against England, their last defeat dating back to 1998!" the commentator declared.

...

Six days later, Portugal played their final pre-European Championship match against Estonia. With Ronaldo returning and Bruno resting, Portugal secured a 7-0 victory, ending their warm-up matches with three wins.

(End of Chapter)

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/cortez10