Chapter 472: Clocking In
After Cristiano Ronaldo scored the third goal, Santos returned to the bench to watch the game. With a 3-0 lead, the team was full of energy, and everything was under control. Santos didn't believe Chile could come back from a 0-3 deficit.
As expected, Chile's fighting spirit dwindled in the subsequent minutes. By the time the referee blew the final whistle, the score remained 3-0.
In the end, Portugal defeated Chile 3-0 and advanced to the Confederations Cup final.
The next day, in Sochi's Fisht Stadium, Germany beat Mexico 4-1, securing the other spot in the final. The two European teams would meet on July 2nd in Saint Petersburg to compete for the Confederations Cup title.
The two American teams, Chile and Mexico, would compete for third place on July 1st in Moscow's Spartak Stadium.
When Portuguese fans learned that their team had made it to another major final, they flocked out of the country to Saint Petersburg, where the final would be held.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese team also flew to Saint Petersburg to prepare for the upcoming final.
This final was somewhat favorable for Portugal as they had an extra day of rest compared to their opponents. In a tightly scheduled tournament like this, even one extra day of rest can be crucial.
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For powerhouse teams, the Confederations Cup might seem a bit redundant, and their commitment to the tournament could be relatively low.
For example, Germany, coached by Löw, sent a young squad to the competition. This German team had an average age of only 23, with their captain Draxler being under 24, and only two players born in the 1980s: 29-year-old Wagner and 28-year-old Stindl.
However, Portugal is not considered a football powerhouse. In their history, they had only won one major tournament, last summer's European Championship. Thus, the Confederations Cup held significant allure for them.
This was evident from Santos bringing Portugal's strongest squad to Russia.
Among the eight participating teams, the strongest were undoubtedly Germany and Portugal.
Before the tournament, in the latest FIFA rankings, Germany was ranked third globally, while Portugal was fourth.
As for the world's number one, Brazil, and number two, Argentina, neither team qualified for the Confederations Cup. The South American representative, Chile, was ranked fifth.
Throughout the tournament, Portugal and Germany were the standout teams. Portugal scored ten goals in their first four matches, while the young German team was even more prolific, netting eleven goals in four games, making them the top two scoring teams.
However, Portugal had a more solid defense, conceding only one goal in four matches, compared to Germany's five, with goals conceded in each game. This inconsistency is a common issue for a young team.
The final between Portugal and Germany attracted significant attention from both nations' fans. Saint Petersburg Stadium, which holds over 68,000 spectators, sold out its tickets well before the final.
Although Portugal is farther from Russia than Germany, more Portuguese fans managed to get to Saint Petersburg because their semifinal was a day earlier.
According to the ticket sales information released by Russian officials, the number of fans from both countries attending the final was nearly equal.
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Germany donned their traditional black and white kit, setting up in a 3-4-3 formation. The goalkeeper was Ter Stegen, with Rüdiger, Mustafi, and Ginter in defense.
The midfield consisted of Kimmich, Goretzka, Rudy, and Hector.
The attacking trio was Stindl, Werner, and captain Draxler.
Portugal fielded their strongest lineup. Veteran Patricio started in goal, with a backline of Cancelo, Pepe, Alves, and Semedo. In midfield, Danilo Pereira and William Carvalho partnered as defensive midfielders, with Bernardo Silva playing a more advanced role. The attacking trio comprised Ronaldo, André Silva, and Bruno.
This was the strongest lineup Portugal could field.
Santos's decision to deploy two defensive midfielders showed his respect for Germany's counter-attacking prowess, particularly their midfielder Goretzka. He repeatedly warned his players to be cautious of him.
Pairing Danilo and Carvalho was likely a strategy to contain Goretzka.
Germany's three-defender setup might struggle against Portugal's 4-3-3, particularly on the wings, and it remained to be seen how they would handle this during the match.
The match was officiated by Milorad Mažić from Serbia, an experienced referee. Before the game, he made it clear to the players that he wanted a fluid match where both teams could enjoy playing.
As the players waited to take the field, Bruno stood quietly at the end of Portugal's line, gradually adjusting his emotions to get into the match's mindset.
As someone who had foreseen this, he knew just how strong this young German team was. If Portugal wasn't careful and allowed their opponents to find their rhythm, winning would be incredibly difficult.
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At the corner flag on Germany's half, Bruno carefully placed the ball and stepped back a few paces, standing tall and looking straight ahead.
In the penalty area, Portugal's tall and strong headers took their positions.
Germany's defenders closely marked Portugal's players, employing subtle disruptive tactics that made the area chaotic.
Every fan in Saint Petersburg Stadium watched with tense and serious expressions.
It was the twelfth minute, and Portugal had unsurprisingly dominated possession and control from the start.
Germany was firmly defending in their own half, waiting for opportunities to counterattack.
With Germany playing a three-defender formation, their wing defense was relatively weak, making Portugal's wing attacks with Ronaldo and Semedo, Bruno, and Cancelo even more threatening.
In just twelve minutes, Portugal had already earned three corner kicks.
Ronaldo took the first two corners from the left and right, but none posed any threat, indicating Germany had prepared well for corners.
In the twelfth minute, Portugal earned a third corner. Ronaldo decided to change things up and handed the ball to Bruno.
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Although Bruno was not the primary set-piece taker for the national team, he had become one for Manchester United, frequently scoring from set pieces.
As Bruno approached the corner flag, Portuguese fans cheered loudly.
Germany's defense braced themselves, knowing Bruno's reputation for set pieces.
Bruno could feel the camera on him, broadcasting live.
He heard the fans' cheers from the stands, which was encouraging but also pressure-inducing.
He took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand, showing one finger, as if signaling "one."
This gesture made everyone hold their breath, unaware of its meaning, except for a few Portuguese players.
It was a signal Bruno and his teammates had practiced.
When the referee blew his whistle, Bruno took a deep breath and sprinted forward, each step firm and strong.
He had practiced this countless times over the years, and it had become second nature.
His left foot planted beside the ball, aligning his body at a specific angle, and his right foot swung like a bowstring, striking the ball.
There was a heavy thud as the ball flew out swiftly, with a low trajectory but tremendous speed.
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In the box, players jostled for position. Ronaldo, André Silva, and Pepe used their movements to distract and pull Germany's defenders.
However, just before Bruno took the corner, Cancelo moved back to the penalty spot, then quickly darted forward, heading to the near post.
By the time Germany's defenders realized the danger, Cancelo had already reached the near post, diving to head Bruno's cross into the goal guarded by Ter Stegen.
"GOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
"In the seventh minute, Portugal scores first!"
"1-0!"
"Cancelo! This is João Cancelo's second appearance in this Confederations Cup, and he has scored a crucial goal!"
"Bruno's corner assist was top quality. The ball was perfectly placed for Cancelo to head in, leaving Ter Stegen no time to react."
After seeing his header hit the net, Cancelo pounded the ground with both fists, then jumped up and sprinted toward Bruno, hugging him tightly.
The two celebrated wildly on the sidelines, shouting towards the cameras and the Portuguese fans in the stands.
Behind them, the rest of the Portuguese players rushed over, surrounding them in celebration.
(End of Chapter)
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