Chapter 400: Can't Hold On
The slow-motion replay revealed the problem wasn't with Mata's shot but with the collision between Lingard and Ndong, indicating a foul by Lingard.
"Ah... Referee Martin Atkinson called a foul on Lingard for charging, making the goal invalid. That's really unfortunate..."
Although the goal was disallowed, Manchester United players didn't protest around the referee. They had so many chances to threaten Sunderland's goal in the first half that they were confident they could win the game.
Their confidence was well-founded. United completely dominated the field, while Sunderland had only managed one shot since their early-game attempt right after kickoff.
Despite Sunderland often playing the role of an easy target for United, their fans were still very dissatisfied with the team's performance. They had braved the cold, traveling from Sunderland in the northeast of England to Manchester, only to see their team get pummeled.
The fans expressed their discontent with loud boos, but their dissatisfaction had no impact on improving the team's performance.
In the 45th minute, just before the end of the first half, Bruno sent a sudden through pass to Lingard, who broke the offside trap and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, Sunderland's goalkeeper Pickford managed to block the shot with his foot.
Shortly after, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half. Since the game had proceeded smoothly, there was no added time, and the first half ended at the 45-minute mark.
"Manchester United created countless opportunities in the first half. I lost count of how many times they threatened Sunderland's goal. It seems like breaking through Sunderland's defense is just a matter of time. But unfortunately, they didn't score in these first 45 minutes..."
At the end of the first half, Sunderland managed to hold on to a 0-0 score. Their manager Moyes was pleased, hugging each player as they came off the field, despite being booed by the Sunderland fans.
"You did great!" This was the first thing both managers said to their players in the locker room.
Moyes praised his players because they had managed to maintain a draw, giving him a solid foundation to strategize for the second half. Mourinho, on the other hand, praised his players for completely dominating the first half, emphasizing the need to keep the team motivated.
"Unfortunately, our luck wasn't great..." Mourinho consoled his players.
Indeed, several promising chances had been miraculously blocked by the opposing goalkeeper and defenders.
"In the second half, we need to keep pressing. From the first minute, keep attacking relentlessly. Don't think about anything else until we score."
Attack was United's greatest weapon, and few teams could withstand such relentless pressure without collapsing.
Sustained pressure is not remarkable on its own, but pressure that consistently results in scoring opportunities is lethal.
If a goalkeeper constantly faces one-on-one situations, their confidence will eventually crumble. Once that happens, the goal will be impossible to defend.
United's strategy was simple: use relentless attacks to break the opponent's defense until they collapse. Even if the opponent knew this strategy, stopping it was another matter entirely.
On Sunderland's side, Moyes was outlining their second-half tactics.
"In the second half, we keep defending. The first ten minutes are crucial. United are very good at scoring early in the half, so be cautious. If we can hold them off for the first fifteen minutes, they will become anxious, creating our chance to counterattack!"
To deal with Bruno, Moyes employed a "wolf pack harassment tactic," rotating players to foul him, disrupting his rhythm and, by extension, United's attacking flow.
Bruno was United's brain; disrupting him would disrupt the entire team's rhythm. Without their attacking threat, United would be just an ordinary team.
Moyes' analysis of United was spot-on. United's dominance in the Premier League was primarily due to their offense. While their defense was strong, allowing only 15 goals in 17 matches, it ranked third in the league. Their attack, however, with 48 goals in 17 matches, was unmatched, outscoring even the second-highest team, Liverpool, by seven goals.
For a manager like Mourinho, known for his defensive tactics, this offensive prowess was somewhat surprising.
During halftime, commentators worldwide discussed the match.
"Except for the lack of goals, everything was great in the first half," said commentator Zhang Jun from New Sound Sports, the exclusive broadcaster in a major Eastern country.
"I worry that if United keeps attacking like this, they might get complacent and get caught on the counter," responded his co-commentator Zhang Lu. "There are many examples of dominant first halves leading to second-half surprises due to overconfidence..."
Similarly, Lineker and Ferdinand discussed whether United's continued attacks might leave them vulnerable to a Sunderland counterattack in the second half. Lineker was concerned, but Ferdinand had faith in United's defense.
"Your attitude might not sit well with Sunderland fans," Lineker joked.
Ferdinand smiled, "I'm a United fan, and their football is more exciting."
In the VIP box at Old Trafford, Vanessa watched the match with satisfaction. From a professional fan's perspective, the first half was nearly perfect, except for the lack of goals. United had superior possession, more shots, more threatening shots, and more entries into the final third. As long as United's players didn't make mistakes, continuing their play in the second half would eventually lead to victory.
Vanessa was in a good mood after the first half.
The fifteen-minute halftime quickly passed, and the second half resumed.
Before stepping onto the field, Moyes gave his players one last reminder: "Defend! Hold off their attacks!"
Standing at the locker room door, he patted each player's shoulder and back, reinforcing his message.
Meanwhile, Mourinho emphasized the importance of attacking to his players: "Attack, right from the start!"
On the field, Bruno gathered his teammates.
"Listen, guys. We start the second half with the ball. This is an opportunity. Let's seize it and hit them hard. Remember how they attacked us in the first half?" Bruno said, looking at his teammates.
Everyone nodded. They certainly remembered—it was Sunderland's only chance in the first half.
"They expect us to attack, so they'll likely pull back and defend, just like in the first half. But we need to keep attacking! Use our strengths to break them down. After kickoff, everyone push forward. I'll organize the attack."
The second half began with Atkinson's whistle.
Ibrahimović kicked the ball, passing it directly to Bruno. Instead of passing immediately, Bruno turned and moved backward, observing the positions of the fullbacks. Seeing Valencia and Blind advancing, he turned forward again.
Facing no pressure from Sunderland, who were following Moyes' instructions to defend for the first ten minutes, Bruno saw an opportunity.
Personal dribbling skills could break such dense defenses, disrupting the balance. Bruno decided to take matters into his own hands. He looked at the flanks, where Valencia and Blind's advances had drawn Sunderland's attention, creating an opportunity in the center.
Bruno pushed the ball forward and took two big strides, crossing the halfway line. Sunderland players didn't rush to intercept, thinking Bruno was trying to lure them out to exploit the space behind them.
Sunderland's players remained in position, believing Bruno couldn't penetrate their dense defense alone.
Initially, Bruno intended to draw defenders out and create space. When Sunderland didn't take the bait, he continued his run, determined to reach the goal.
"Bruno is on the attack!" Lineker shouted excitedly.
As Bruno crossed the center circle, Sunderland's Defoe intercepted. Bruno used his speed to change direction and accelerate past Defoe, reaching the 30-meter mark.
Seeing Bruno approaching, Van Aanholt and Ndong rushed forward. Bruno dodged Ndong's tackle with a right-footed feint and couldn't avoid Van Aanholt. But he shielded the ball, protecting it from Van Aanholt's challenge. Van Aanholt collided with Bruno, and the referee blew the whistle.
"Van Aanholt committed a foul!"
Van Aanholt's foul was more a result of Bruno's smart play. The Dutch left-back knew it wasn't intentional but couldn't argue with the referee.
United won a free-kick in the center. Bruno took the shot, which deflected off the wall. Reacting quickly, Bruno passed to Blind on the wing. Blind crossed into the right side of the penalty area, catching Sunderland off guard.
"Linake single-handedly!"
Pickford had no choice but to rush out, but Lingard crossed instead of shooting.
Ibrahimović was ready in the center, but Kone intercepted the ball before it reached him. The deflection landed at Bruno's feet.
"Bruno!!" Lineker shouted as the ball fell to Bruno.
Bruno wasted no time, shooting directly into the goal between Kone and Pickford.
"Goal! Goal!!" Lineker's prepared shout finally released.
"Less than two minutes into the second half, Bruno scores!! United takes the lead!"
(End of Chapter)
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