Chapter 505: Unexpected Dilemma

Huddersfield is located in the northwest of England, only 40 kilometers away from Manchester.

As the newly promoted team this season, Huddersfield has been in the lower-level leagues of England for 45 consecutive years. Even being promoted to the Premier League last season was a matter of luck.

After all, they participated in the promotion play-offs as the fifth in the English Championship. They first eliminated Sheffield Wednesday with the advantage of away goals, and then drew with Reading in 120 minutes in the play-off final, and finally advanced through a penalty shootout.

However, people familiar with the history of British football know that Huddersfield was once the strongest team in British football. They won the old English First Division for three consecutive years from the 1923-1924 season to the 1925-1926 season, and were the first team in the history of the English top league to win three consecutive championships.

However, Huddersfield has declined since the Second World War. Even since being relegated from the old English First Division in 1972, Huddersfield has never been promoted to the English top league until now.

After the start of the new season, Huddersfield once performed very well in the Premier League, and even ranked in the top three in the first three rounds. However, with the promotion of the season, Huddersfield's dark horse halo began to fade. After 8 rounds of the league, it only achieved 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses, ranking 12th in the league.

Especially since the two consecutive wins at the beginning of the season, Huddersfield has not won in six consecutive league rounds.

Under such circumstances, Huddersfield ushered in the Premier League overlord Manchester United.

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Manchester United, with the hot momentum of eight consecutive wins in the Premier League and fourteen consecutive wins in all competitions in the new season, went all the way north from Manchester, with the momentum of sweeping Huddersfield in one go.

After all, one is Huddersfield, which was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in history, and the other is Manchester United, the overlord who won the Premier League championship fourteen times; one is a newly promoted team that has not won in the past six rounds of the Premier League, and the other is the Red Devils who have won eight consecutive league games in the new season without conceding a goal.

In everyone's opinion, this is a game without any suspense. The only uncertainty is how many goals Huddersfield will lose at home.

However, when the game started, the development trend was beyond everyone's expectations.

Because of the two strong opponents Liverpool and Roma in a week, Mourinho made a large-scale rotation of Manchester United's lineup. Many main players, including Bruno, did not start the game. Only goalkeeper De Gea and Valencia continued to start.

Manchester United suffered a blow in the 23rd minute. Central defender Phil Jones was injured and could not continue the game. Mourinho was forced to replace General Phil with Lindelof.

This substitution adjustment disrupted Manchester United's rhythm, and the home team Huddersfield began to take the initiative on the field.

Huddersfield took the lead in the 28th minute. Mooy intercepted Mata in the middle line and passed the ball. Ins shot in front of the small penalty area and was saved by De Gea. Mooy made a supplementary shot from 10 yards.

Five minutes later, the home team scored another goal to expand the score. Rosler kicked the ball with a big foot, Lindelof headed the ball, De Poitre dribbled past De Gea and shot low. Two Manchester United central defenders failed to intercept in front of the empty goal, and the score on the field became 2:0.

Losing two goals in just five minutes completely stunned the Manchester United team that played with a substitute lineup. They didn't come back to their senses for the next ten minutes.

It wasn't until the injury time of the first half that Manchester United created the first threatening shot of the game. Fellaini's shot from the edge of the penalty area in the corner kick melee was blocked by Tommy Smith.

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During the halftime break, Mourinho scolded the Manchester United players in the locker room, and the players were like frightened quails, hanging their heads one by one, not daring to talk back.

During the fifteen-minute break, Mourinho scolded for five minutes, and then spent another five minutes on tactical arrangements before leaving the locker room.

There was a dead silence in the locker room, and the players were all at a loss. Everyone had a feeling that without that man, they seemed to have lost their direction.

However, what comforted them a little was that the man would be back after the start of the second half!

Yes, just now in the locker room, Mourinho has made arrangements that Manchester United will make substitutions at the beginning of the second half, and captain Bruno will come on as a substitute.

Sure enough, at the beginning of the second half, the fourth official on the sidelines played a substitution sign. No. 13 Juan Mata off, No. 8 Bruno Fernandes on; No. 39 Scott McTominay off, No. 9 Harry Kane on.

The second half of the game just started, and all three substitutions were used up. Mourinho is going all in.

This also shows Mourinho's attitude. He needs the players to use a victory to avenge the shame!

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Bruno, who came on as a substitute, did not appear in his most familiar front midfielder position, but formed a front trident with Harry Kane and Lingard, and Bruno played as a left winger.

At the beginning of the game, Manchester United really focused on attacking the left, and Bruno was very active on the left.

Tom Smith focused on Bruno. Bruno was famous, so Tom Smith didn't dare to be careless and give him any chance. He was always close to Bruno intentionally or unintentionally, trying to play his advantage in physical confrontation.

As a defender who has worked hard in the English Championship for many years, Tom Smith thought he was not afraid of anyone in physical confrontation. In the previous match against Tottenham, the equally famous Son Heung-min didn't get any advantage from him.

Bruno's physique looks similar to that of a Korean winger. Although Bruno is much more famous and may be more capable, Tom Smith thinks that he can compete with Bruno in terms of physical strength.

After all, physical strength is his strong point.

But in the 49th minute, the two sides had their first physical confrontation when they were fighting for the ball. Tom Smith found something wrong. He tried desperately to squeeze Bruno away, but found that things were not as he expected.

Bruno was squeezed and staggered, and his pace with the ball was indeed messed up, but he quickly adjusted and did not lose the ball. Instead, Tom Smith, who was squeezing people, lost his position and was found a chance for Bruno to pass.

It's a pity that Harry Kane failed to grab the first point.

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Tom Smith looked at Bruno, who was shaking his head and walking back in disappointment, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised: This Portuguese boy's physical fitness is also so good? It's a monster!

Realizing this, the Huddersfield right-back couldn't help but look carefully at Bruno's arm exposed outside the loose jersey, and indeed found obvious deltoid muscles, which further confirmed his judgment.

But the game changes rapidly, and there is no time for Tom Smith. Bruno soon received the pass from his teammate and came back with the ball.

This time he received the ball during the counterattack and killed all the way to the Huddersfield penalty area.

One person, alone, faced Tom Smith who retreated to the penalty area and the two defensive players behind him.

Just when Tom Smith thought that Bruno should slow down and wait for his teammates behind him to catch up, he didn't expect that Bruno didn't slow down after entering the penalty area, and directly accelerated and threw him away.

Tom Smith only felt that the opponent was too fast, and the figure in front of him flashed. Just as he reacted, Bruno jumped past him, and before the central defender behind him could help defend, he suddenly shot with his right foot.

The shot was fast and powerful, but the angle was a little high, and the ball flew directly out of the baseline and onto the lower stands behind him.

The 20,000 Huddersfield fans at John Smith's Stadium were all shocked.

Not only Tom Smith, but even David Wagner on the sidelines was shocked and frightened.

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Bruno shook his head and walked back, his face full of depression. It was a pity that he didn't play the shot well just now.

It was mainly because he was a little too anxious when the opponent's central defender assisted in defense, and he didn't hit the right part, resulting in the ball not being suppressed. Otherwise, it would have been a wonderful shot.

"Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!!!" Bruno kept reminding himself in his heart.

Impatience is a taboo for scorers.

It's not difficult to score only one goal, but to keep scoring steadily for a long time, not only must you have strong personal strength, but also have strong enough psychological quality, and the most important thing is mentality.

Keep a calm mind, so that the action can be stretched to the right place and the judgment can be calm.

"Well done!" Lingard ran over to congratulate.

"It didn't go in, otherwise it would be more beautiful." Bruno laughed.

Lingard said: "It seems that you are in good condition today."

Bruno nodded. His condition is indeed OK, but not very good.

"Ashley, you should be more active. I can hold the ball. Believe me." Bruno returned to the half court and said to Ashley Young.

Because of the two goals lost in the first half, Professor Young suffered a big blow. He was still a little conservative after the start of the second half.

"I will go to the outside, you will go inside, I will go inside, you will go to the side, and I will fill in for you if necessary."

Ashley Young gave Bruno a thumbs up, indicating that he remembered it.

Although he is older than Bruno, in fact, whether it is his position in the team or his performance on the court, he is not as good as Bruno. In addition, Bruno's status in world football, he is also convinced of Bruno.

………………

Soon, Manchester United organized another wave of attacks, still a counterattack after stealing the ball. Harry Kane grabbed the ball and passed it to Bruno on the left.

This time, Ashley Young was just as Bruno expected. When he saw Bruno rushing into the penalty area with the ball, Professor Young did not hesitate and quickly joined the side.

Bruno dribbled the ball straight to Tom Smith, facing two defenders at the same time, but still rushed to the penalty area, forcing all the attention of Huddersfield to fall on him, but he suddenly split to the bottom line.

Ashley Young joined the side, quickly entered the penalty area after receiving the ball, and passed the ball diagonally to the back point before the defender arrived.

Harry Kane joined from the back row and calmly pushed the ball into the Huddersfield goal.

1:2, Manchester United got back one city!

At this time, the second half of the game had just been played for sixteen minutes!