Chapter 501: The Broken Mindset
"Only four minutes in! Manchester United has taken the lead! This is a textbook fast break!"
"This is Manchester United's signature scoring method! Quick passes, quick runs, at a rhythm the opponents can't even think of keeping up with, leading them by the nose with no way to respond!"
"Valencia! He scored his first goal of the season in such an important match!"
"Scoring in the first four minutes is a perfect start for Manchester United! The game will now fall into the rhythm they are most familiar with, while Roma faces a dilemma!"
The commentators shouted with excitement.
As soon as he saw Cancelo break into the penalty area, Di Francesco jumped up from his seat on the sidelines, only to see his team concede a goal. He blamed the goal on his players' lack of focus at the start of the game.
Regardless of the reason, a goal conceded is a goal conceded. Now they were behind and had to rethink their strategy.
Roma's players were also bewildered. The game had just started, and only Alisson, who made the save, and Gonalons, who cleared the header, had touched the ball. All other Roma players hadn't even touched the ball yet and were already trailing.
It was a situation they hadn't anticipated. Some players rushed to the linesman, protesting that Cancelo was offside when he received the ball, so Valencia's goal shouldn't count.
The linesman shook his head, indicating he had seen it clearly and that the play was onside. The combination between Bruno and Cancelo was excellent.
...
The large screen in the stadium replayed the goal. Roma's players looked up, hoping to find evidence of offside, but were met with silence. They saw the slow-motion replay of Bruno's pass and Cancelo's run. The TV broadcast even froze the moment Bruno passed the ball, showing clearly that Cancelo was in front of Roma's defensive line when the ball was played. Fazio, Jesus, and Bruno Peres were all behind, proving it was not offside.
Roma's defense, struggling to keep up with Manchester United's relentless pace, was torn apart by Bruno's pass and Cancelo's run.
"Roma players are still protesting Cancelo's offside, but the TV replay shows clearly that it was onside, absolutely onside!"
The Roma players were speechless, reluctantly accepting the reality of being 1-0 down just four minutes into the game.
...
In stark contrast to Roma's frustration, Manchester United's players were elated, even somewhat ecstatic. Scoring early in the game is the best possible start!
With the lead, they could play more comfortably, dragging the game into their familiar rhythm. Mourinho's team excelled in defensive counterattacks, making this advantageous for them.
After their jubilant celebration, Manchester United's players returned to prepare for the game. By now, almost six minutes had passed, with their celebration lasting over a minute.
Before the game, Di Francesco emphasized the importance of containing Bruno, assigning both Strootman and Gonalons to mark him. However, Bruno still orchestrated two dangerous attacks and even contributed to the goal.
Every attack involved Bruno as the key player. Di Francesco's strategy to suppress Bruno seemed ineffective.
...
After the restart, Roma tried to advance using their possession. However, they quickly noticed a problem: every Manchester United player, including forwards Harry Kane, Rashford, and Mbappe, seemed to transform into defenders.
They pressed Roma's players from the front, chasing them relentlessly, even forcing Roma's defenders to pass back to their goalkeeper.
The midfield pressure from Manchester United was relentless. Bruno and Kante, known for their defensive capabilities, were particularly aggressive.
Manchester United's defense began right in the opponent's penalty area, disrupting Roma's play. Any player with the ball was under constant threat from Manchester United's players, who were not hesitant to commit fouls. The forwards and midfielders, playing high up the pitch, could foul without much consequence. Harry Kane and others frequently fouled to break Roma's rhythm, making it hard for Roma to settle into the game.
Nainggolan, Roma's playmaker, was closely marked by Kante and Bruno.
...
As for Gerson, the Brazilian talent was having a poor game. He was invisible during Roma's defensive efforts, and his slow pace in attacks disrupted their tempo. He lost the ball frequently under pressure from Manchester United, turning into a liability.
Even neutral commentators shook their heads at Gerson's performance. Normally a significant threat in Roma's offense, today he was a starting point for Manchester United's counterattacks. Several times, the ball was stolen from Gerson, leading to immediate counterattacks by United.
Nainggolan, on the other hand, was being suppressed by Kante and Bruno, spending more time defending than attacking.
Manchester United's onslaught was relentless. Their speed, both in attack and in moving the ball, left Roma struggling. The combination of fast individual players like Mbappe, Rashford, Valencia, and Cancelo, coupled with the quick passing of Bruno and Gundogan, made United unstoppable.
...
"Manchester United's fast counterattack! Kante passes to Bruno! Bruno dribbles diagonally... there's a lot of space on the right! A beautiful diagonal pass! Mbappe is speeding up, he gets the ball... now there's space on the left! A cross! Jesus intercepts! He's in the right place!"
"Another fast attack by Manchester United! Cancelo makes a speedy run down the flank, Bruno's through pass, Cancelo uses his pace to get past Bruno Peres!"
"Bruno dribbles in the center! Strootman closes in, but Bruno does a one-two with Kane and evades Strootman…"
...
Scenes like this repeated frequently, with Manchester United's pace increasing. Di Francesco initially believed United's intense start was natural after scoring early. He thought if Roma held their ground, they could regain control and counterattack.
However, United's attacking waves showed no signs of receding.
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By the 15th minute, the score remained 1-0, with Manchester United leading. From the way things were going, Roma had no way to equalize, and their defense looked likely to concede again.
Di Francesco's plan of using Strootman and Gonalons to contain Bruno wasn't working. Strootman continued his efforts, but Gonalons was completely outmatched by Bruno's passing and dribbling. Gonalons never knew if Bruno would pass, dribble, or shoot, making him look lost.
Bruno's unpredictability made him a nightmare to defend, and Gonalons struggled to cope.
...
Strootman, experienced and pragmatic, started committing fouls to disrupt Bruno. Much like how United broke Roma's rhythm, Strootman's fouls aimed to curb Bruno's influence. His frustration with Roma's performance was evident. Normally composed and reserved, Strootman was visibly angered, a sign of his dissatisfaction with his team's performance.
Roma's attack was ineffective, their defense shaky, constantly under pressure from United. Strootman's fouls were his way of expressing frustration, often targeting Bruno.
Roma finally earned a corner, but United's goalkeeper De Gea caught it and quickly threw it to Bruno outside the box. As Bruno turned to advance, Strootman shoved him to the ground.
It was a tactical foul, buying time for his teammates to retreat. A smart foul, but it highlighted Roma's struggle. Without fouls, they had to rely on their defenders and goalkeeper to keep them in the game.
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