Chapter 43: Three Straight Wins to Advance

Chapter 43: Three Straight Wins to Advance

The game continued.

With a three-goal lead over their biggest group competitor, the Portuguese players were exhilarated, even surrounding the Korean goal with a flurry of attacks at one point.

"This can't go on," worried the Korean team's assistant coach.

"Shut up! I know," snapped Coach Lee Kwang-Jong irritably. "Let me think."

Pacing the sidelines, Lee was visibly upset. His gaze drifted to the bench. Should he make substitutions now to try to change the course of the game? He immediately dismissed the idea—it was only a few minutes into the match.

The main issue was that the current disadvantage wasn't something a substitution could fix. Nevertheless, almost instinctively, Lee headed toward the bench, as if it could offer him some comfort.

"Looks like we're going to get scored on a few more times at this rate," murmured someone on the bench.

"Yeah, it looks bad," agreed another.

"What are you two mumbling about?" Lee roared upon hearing them.

The two players looked up to see their coach's furious, reddened eyes and quickly looked down again, shutting up.

At that moment, a huge cheer erupted from the entire stadium.

Lee's heart sank as he turned to see Portugal's number ten bouncing joyfully after scoring, ending with a gliding celebration...

"Just like I said, another hole punched through!" someone whispered, then saw the coach's menacing look and shuddered.

This was Bruno on the right flank, skillfully dodging a Korean midfielder before cutting inside.

As the other defenders anticipated his breakthrough or a pass, Bruno adjusted his step and unleashed a surprise long shot. It was a powerful, ground-hugging drive that skimmed the grass, a type of shot that was very deceptive and troubled the goalkeeper. The Korean goalkeeper, Lee Chang-geun, noticed the shot too late and was still diving when the ball rolled into the net.

4:0!

Twenty-one minutes into the game, Bruno scored his second goal, helping Portugal to a 4:0 lead.

The Portuguese fans in the stands erupted, shocked that Portugal had taken a four-goal lead over Korea in just over twenty minutes!

"Brilliant goal! Outstanding Bruno! This scoreline and process were unexpected by everyone," exclaimed the Portuguese commentator. "Two goals, two assists—that's the power of Bruno Fernandes. Look at that smile; he's thriving in the Portuguese national team!"

The resilience of the Korean team was notable. Even after falling behind by four goals within the first twenty minutes, they didn't collapse and managed to score towards the end of the first half, making it 4:1.

Of course, this was also because Portugal, with a four-goal lead, did not continue to press their attack. Having stormed forward for about twenty minutes, the young Portuguese players were tired and needed to slow down.

Even though Bruno wanted to continue pursuing the victory, his teammates lacked the motivation.

Despite Portugal's relaxed approach, Korea gradually recovered and managed to score just before the halftime break. Although they scored, it didn't affect the good spirits of the Portuguese players. At halftime, the dressing room at Kadir Has Stadium was filled with laughter and cheer.

With a 4:1 lead, everyone was in high spirits, and Bruno's excellent first-half performance earned him more trust and respect from his teammates.

Before the start of the second half, Coach Ramos substituted Bruno with Agostinho Cá, a product of La Masia and currently playing for Barcelona B, aiming to give Bruno as much rest as possible.

Given that Bruno had just completed a full season and considering the dense schedule of the World Youth Championship, Ramos was concerned about his stamina. Moreover, knowing the Koreans' propensity for rough play, he was cautious about leaving Bruno vulnerable to potential aggressive tackles in the second half.

Ramos had witnessed the shameful events of eleven years ago and wasn't above assuming the worst about the Korean players. His substitution proved timely.

After Bruno left the field, the reinvigorated Korean team started showing the strength expected of the Asian champions. They played hard and rough, which led to a fiery match. The Koreans gradually gained control of the game and scored in the 76th minute, making it 2:4.

With a goal back, the Korean team saw a chance to equalize or even turn the game around. They were energized in the last stretch, repeatedly attacking the Portuguese goal.

However, the Portuguese midfield trio of João Mário, André Gomes, and Agostinho Cá fought hard, ultimately holding off the Koreans. Cá, in particular, made a crucial goal-line clearance during stoppage time, preserving Portugal's lead.

Coach Ramos stood on the sidelines directing the game, visibly nervous with each Korean attack. Cá's save had his heart racing, but finally, the referee blew the whistle to end the match, saving Ramos from further stress.

4:2!

Thanks to Bruno's brilliant performance in the first half, Portugal won a crucial victory over Korea with a score of 4:2, securing their advance from the group stage.

With two consecutive wins, Portugal not only advanced early but also secured the top spot in their group.

According to the rules of the World Youth Championship, the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, would move on to the knockout stage.

With two wins, Portugal was guaranteed a top-two spot in Group B, thus advancing early. Korea, now third in the group, had to face Nigeria in the last round to battle for qualification.

Three days later, the final round of Group B kicked off simultaneously.

In the direct confrontation between Korea and Nigeria, the match ended in a 1:1 draw, giving both teams 4 points and a passage to the knockout phase.

In their match against the weaker team Cuba, Coach Ramos rested Bruno, but Portugal still thrashed their opponents 5:0.

In this game, Portugal's talented winger Bruma scored twice, leading the tournament with five goals in three games. Aladje also scored, his third of the tournament, placing second in the scorers' table. The final goal was scored by Ricardo Pereira.

On the afternoon of June 29, the last group matches concluded, and the 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage were determined. They included the group winners—Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Paraguay, Iraq, Croatia—and the runners-up—France, Nigeria, Turkey, Greece, Chile, Uruguay—along with the four best third-placed teams—Ghana, Korea, Mexico, and Uzbekistan. The third-placed teams from Groups C and E, El Salvador and Egypt, along with the last-place teams from all groups, were eliminated.

Commonwealth teams faced utter disaster!

In the upcoming round of 16 draw, Portugal drew Group A's third-placed team, Ghana, a result that pleased the Portuguese. However, Bruno felt they might be celebrating too early, as the "youth Black Stars" had managed a 4:1 victory over the USA to advance from their group, proving themselves a formidable opponent.

(End of Chapter)

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