Chapter 402: Moyes' Ambition
In the 59th minute, Sunderland launched an attack. Kone made a long pass from the backfield, but Bruno intercepted it at midfield.
After intercepting Sunderland's attack, Bruno waved his hand, signaling everyone to counterattack.
Instantly, Lingard, Ibrahimovic, Carrick, and Mata turned and charged towards Sunderland's goal.
Bruno took a couple of steps, observed the field, and noticed that most of his teammates were in position. He then passed the ball to Carrick, who had come to support him.
The veteran Carrick drove the ball forward and took a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, but it was blocked by the oncoming Pickford.
However, Manchester United's attack wasn't over. They quickly got a second chance to attack.
This is a characteristic of Mourinho's newly built Manchester United. Whether attacking or defending, they operate in waves, like the sea, one wave after another, relentless and continuous.
In attack, they would use wave after wave to break down the opponent's defense and score. In defense, they would use layer after layer to nullify the opponent's attacks.
To achieve this effect, Mourinho relied most on two players: Bruno and Kante.
...
Pickford blocked the ball, but it didn't fall to any Sunderland player. Instead, it landed at Lingard's feet.
Facing Kone's defense, Lingard didn't shoot but passed the ball to Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic, with a deft backheel, nudged the ball to the advancing Blind. The Dutchman, playing as a makeshift left-back, found an angle and took a left-footed shot from eighteen meters out.
Pickford dove, but the ball slipped past his fingertips. He turned to see the ball hit the inside of the post and bounce in.
A second goal!
"2-0! Manchester United extends their lead at home!!"
Moyes was frustrated. They desperately defended but still conceded, and then they were countered when attacking.
Now, two goals behind, what should he do?
As Moyes pondered, the Manchester United fans in the stands were cheering ecstatically.
In twelve minutes, Manchester United scored two goals, leaving Sunderland without a response.
These two goals, like today's rain, extinguished the fire of Sunderland's fighting spirit.
More daunting than the two goals was the realization among Sunderland players that Manchester United's attacks always posed a threat to their goal.
This undoubtedly placed immense psychological pressure on Sunderland's players. When they thought about attacking, they had to reconsider.
Attack and defense have always been a "fish and bear's paw" story on the football field.
Although this goal was not directly assisted by Bruno, it was initiated by his interception and subsequent play.
Lineker shouted, "Today is Boxing Day, and Bruno has given everyone the best gift! Clearly, Bruno has now become the team's leader, as shown in this attack."
...
After the match resumed, Moyes had figured it out. Whether losing by two goals or one, a loss is still a loss. So why not push forward and attack? Maybe they could create a miracle.
He stood on the sidelines, loudly calling out his players' names, using every means to tell them: Attack!
But Sunderland's players hesitated because Manchester United's offensive was fierce and highly threatening.
"What if we attack and they score again? The game would be over!"
"...We're only down by two goals, with thirty minutes left. Maybe there's still hope..."
"Maybe..."
Sunderland players became conflicted. Some wanted to keep defending, while others wanted to counterattack.
But soon, Manchester United made it clear to the Sunderland players who wanted to counterattack that the hope of a comeback was very slim.
In the 62nd minute, just three minutes after Manchester United's second goal, they organized another attack.
This time, Mata led the charge. He and Blind played a quick one-two on the wing, then crossed the ball. Ibrahimovic headed it down, and Bruno took a shot, which Pickford awkwardly saved.
...
Standing on the sidelines, Moyes seemed more anxious than the players on the field.
"Push forward!" he shouted, almost stepping onto the field, grabbing the nearest player, Sebastian Larsson. "We must attack!"
Larsson was startled by the coach's demeanor, as he rarely saw Moyes so agitated.
But considering today's opponent was Manchester United, he nodded in understanding.
Pointing to the field, Moyes continued, "Go up there and tell them to attack, abandon the defensive counterattack strategy, and go all out on the attack."
"But... but..." Larsson, finally reacting, was shocked and puzzled. "But their attack is very strong. I'm worried our defense will be broken..."
"That's why we must strengthen our attack, to score before they break our defense. Go now, tell them on the field!"
Seeing the fourth official looking his way, Moyes quickly patted Larsson on the shoulder and pushed him onto the field. Then he returned to his technical area to get the substitute list from his assistant coach.
...
Moyes decided to use substitutions to implement his strategy.
Soon, Sunderland substituted young player Donald Love, a Manchester United academy graduate, for N'Dong. N'Dong was a defensive midfielder, while Love could play as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder, thus enhancing the attack.
After coming on, Love conveyed the latest tactics to his teammates as instructed by the coach.
"The coach says we must attack," he told his hesitant teammates.
"But the defense..." someone expressed concern.
"Forget about it. Let's focus on scoring. Otherwise, we're really going to lose!"
The Sunderland players agreed that attacking was the best option at this point. They didn't enjoy sitting back and defending either, so after the restart, Sunderland launched an offensive.
Manchester United was somewhat unprepared for Sunderland's sudden aggression, and four minutes later, they conceded a goal.
Van Aanholt assisted from within Manchester United's thirty-meter area for the first time in this match. As a left-back, he had stayed put in his defensive zone until now.
Manchester United wasn't ready for his sudden advance, allowing him to cross comfortably.
The ball flew to the front of the goal, and Borini volleyed from the right side of the penalty area, scoring to pull one back for Sunderland. De Gea couldn't reach it, and the ball flew straight into the net.
...
This goal rekindled Sunderland's hope!
After Borini scored, Sunderland fans in the stands finally cheered.
They had been silent for so long that it almost seemed like Sunderland had no fans at this away game.
The Sunderland players were ecstatic after scoring. They surrounded Borini and ran to their fans' section to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the Manchester United players were a bit frustrated and surprised.
Conceding this goal was unexpected. They hadn't thought Sunderland, who had only one previous threatening chance, would score on their second.
Bruno knew it was a defensive lapse, but he couldn't blame anyone.
Criticizing teammates after conceding a goal was taboo!
He clapped his hands to encourage everyone not to dwell on the goal: "We're still leading by one goal. Don't act like we're behind, guys."
It's Boxing Day, and he didn't want Sunderland to ruin Manchester United's celebration.
With a goal back, Sunderland saw hope for an equalizer or even a comeback. They stood on the field, eager to launch another attack after the restart.
Moyes shared this sentiment, pleased to see his adjustments working. He believed that if they kept pushing, they could equalize.
Thinking this, he remained on the sidelines, filled with anticipation.
...
"We need to show them what we can do!" Bruno ran to Ibrahimovic before the kickoff. "When we restart, run forward and get into their penalty area. I'll pass the ball to you. Let's keep it simple!"
Ibrahimovic trusted Bruno's precision in passing and agreed.
The referee, seeing both teams were ready, blew the whistle to resume the game.
Lingard received the pass from Ibrahimovic, turned, and passed the ball to Bruno.
Ibrahimovic remembered Bruno's words and sprinted forward without looking back.
Bruno, after receiving the pass, acted like an American football quarterback. He didn't hurry to pass but moved backward, observing the field and drawing Sunderland's players forward.
Having just scored, Sunderland's formation was still compact, like a boxer holding their fists close, ready to strike.
He needed them to throw a punch, revealing an opening.
Bruno didn't pass back. He kept pulling the ball back, drawing the opponents to him.
Sunderland, buoyed by their goal, saw Bruno holding the ball and thought they had a chance. Defoe and Anichebe charged towards Bruno.
Bruno noticed their movements but didn't pass. He kept observing, waiting for Sunderland to fully commit, which would inevitably leave them wide open.
Ibrahimovic kept running forward, not looking back after the initial glance.
He trusted Bruno. As long as he reached the right position, the ball would come from behind.
(End of the 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