Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 442: Breaking Records

At 12 noon on April 29th, Manchester United faced Swansea City at Old Trafford in a Premier League Round 35 match.

This game was challenging for Manchester United, not because Swansea was a strong opponent, but due to the short recovery time between matches. The Manchester derby against Manchester City was played at 8 PM on April 26th, ending around 10 PM. Only 62 hours had passed since then!

Normally, United's match would have been scheduled for Sunday evening or even Monday night. However, due to their congested schedule, including six Premier League games, two Europa League semi-finals, and one FA Cup final, there wasn't enough time. Consequently, this match was scheduled for Saturday noon, with another league game on Monday night.

There was some good news for United: Wayne Rooney, Luke Shaw, and Juan Mata were back from injury. Due to the shortage of forwards and defenders, Mourinho started Rooney and Shaw, while Mata was on the bench.

Swansea was one of the more manageable opponents among United's remaining fixtures, sitting in the relegation zone with just 31 points. While no relegation-threatened team is easy to beat, Swansea's overall strength was relatively weaker, making this a must-win game for United.

...

From the kickoff, Manchester United aggressively attacked Swansea's goal. Swansea, recognizing United's intensity, resorted to frequent fouls. Whenever Bruno had the ball, Swansea's midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng would come in from the side, pushing Bruno's shoulder while trying to trip him up.

It was clearly a foul, but Bruno managed to stay on his feet, keeping the ball under control. He knew Swansea's tactic was to disrupt United's rhythm by committing fouls, forcing quick stops and starts like a train making emergency brakes. Frequent acceleration and sudden stops would throw off United's tempo.

Bruno's goal was to retain possession, avoiding giving Swansea the satisfaction of disrupting their play. However, the referee blew the whistle, calling a foul against Swansea.

...

The stands erupted in boos directed at Ki Sung-Yueng, while Bruno was frustrated with the referee's decision. He argued, "I still had the ball..."

Bruno realized that even without losing the ball, he couldn't afford to linger and risk more fouls. The best way to counteract Swansea's tactic wasn't by retaliating or theatrically falling to draw cards, but by continuing to create scoring opportunities and threatening their goal despite the fouls.

Bruno disliked falling easily under pressure. While it could prevent injury, it seemed weak and encouraged more aggressive play from opponents. Instead of relying on the referee, Bruno preferred to deal with it himself.

...

As the game resumed, Ki Sung-Yueng looked smug, feeling victorious for breaking Bruno's rhythm. The commentator noted that Bruno, a player who liked to control the ball, would find the constant fouling frustrating. However, they were unaware that Bruno was unfazed.

In the 15th minute, Bruno again had the ball near the penalty area. Ki Sung-Yueng tried to force him to pass back, thinking he had Bruno cornered. With Bruno's back to the goal, Ki Sung-Yueng was confident Bruno would have to pass.

Bruno, feeling Ki's presence, executed a tricky turn, passing the ball backward to the position he had just vacated.

"A backheel pass! How did he see that?" the commentator exclaimed.

Ashley Young, initially not expecting the pass, reacted on instinct, flawlessly controlling the ball.

Ki Sung-Yueng, still processing Bruno's pass, saw Bruno sprint past him. He chased after him, but it was too late. Young's cross reached the box, where United's forwards were being marked, leaving Bruno and Ki Sung-Yueng to battle it out.

As Bruno approached the penalty spot, he leaped into the air, leaving Ki Sung-Yueng flat-footed and watching Bruno soar.

...

Rooney jumped but missed the ball, as did Swansea's defender Alfie Mawson. The ball sailed to the center of the box, where Bruno and Federico Fernández contested it.

"Young's cross, Bruno's header!" The commentator's voice rose with excitement.

In that moment, everything happened so fast that it was unclear who touched the ball first. Swansea's goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski leapt to save it but was too slow.

"Bruno's header... GOAL!" the commentator shouted. "15th minute, and Manchester United takes the lead! What a start!"

"What a beautiful header! Absolutely stunning!"

"Bruno scores his 35th goal of the season, breaking Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's single-season Premier League record of 34 goals!"

(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