Chapter 11 Transformation in Adversity
Chapter 11 Transformation in Adversity
As November approaches, the weather in Italy becomes unpredictable. As if infected, the situation in Serie B has also become somewhat unpredictable.
First, in the 10th round, the powerful Sassuolo was upset by Citadella in the middle and lower reaches, and as November approached, Novara, the only unbeaten team in Serie B, was also defeated by Roberto Beni. The Gurney Stadium was held back, beaten by mid-table Ascoli.
Although there is not much difference between Novara and Ascoli in the standings, considering that Novara was deducted 4 points and is the only unbeaten team in Serie B, all aspects are more optimistic about Novara. Unbeaten on the road.
However, at the Roberto Benigni Stadium, the Novara team seemed to be in a sleepwalking state. They were in a terrible sluggish state. Ascoli scored two goals in the second half and lost with a score of 0:2. Come down.
Bruno was restricted in this game. Ascoli's strong physical confrontation made Bruno fall into physical combat, and his technical advantages were completely invisible.
As the midfield engine failed to run, Novara's team's offense naturally had problems and they were unable to pose a threat at all.
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This loss was like breaking the heartstrings of the Novara players, and the team's overall state suddenly disappeared.
Entering the first game in November, Novara once again unexpectedly lost to Citadella at home.Facing the only team that defeated Sassuolo this season, Novara struggled very much at home.They used the same method as Ascoli to lock down Bruno's performance.And they took the lead in breaking the deadlock with a quick counterattack in the 11th minute of the first half.
Although Novara launched a counterattack at the beginning of the second half, the red card of team midfielder Romano Perdicone in the 54th minute of the game ruined Novara's hopes.
In fact, Perdicone's second yellow card had something to do with Bruno.He got into a physical battle with Citadella in the midfield and lost the ball.
In order to prevent Citadella's on-the-spot counterattack, Perdicone was forced to commit a tactical foul.
Two consecutive defeats were caused by Bruno being targeted by opponents in the midfield. His importance to Novara is evident.
As the season progresses, Bruno's characteristics are gradually discovered by various Serie B teams, and his weaknesses are also exposed, that is, his body is relatively weak and he is not strong in confrontation.
When facing Novara, opponents will adopt targeted tactics.
Previously, Bruno was in good form. Even though he was targeted by his opponents, he still led Novara forward with his excellent form. Even if he could not win, he could barely get a draw.
However, with the last two rounds of competition, Bruno's condition has declined, and Novara can no longer maintain it.
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Novara, which has lost two consecutive games, has also been declining in the standings, falling from 11th to 15th, only 3 points higher than the relegation zone!
To make matters worse, Novara ushered in a powerful opponent at this time: Sassuolo!
This team, located in the city of Sassuolo, has been in the lower leagues for a long time in its 91-year history. But after Calciopoli, Sassuolo had a good opportunity for development. They were first promoted to Italian League C in 2006, and then promoted to Italian League B for the first time, creating team history.
After settling in Serie B for several seasons, starting from last season, Sassuolo began to enter the Serie A.With 80 points in the season, they were only behind Pescara and Torino, who both had 83 points. However, in the promotion play-offs, Sassuolo lost 2:3 in two rounds of competition. Sampdoria, which was eventually promoted as an opponent, missed Serie A.
In this summer, Sassuolo continues to recruit players, with a very clear goal: Serie A!
From the first round, Sassuolo has strongly occupied the top spot in the standings, with a record of 13 wins, 10 draw and 1 losses in the first 2 rounds, leading by 3 points.
This Sassuolo lineup is very strong, and the core player is their captain Magnanelli. The Italian midfielder who is about to celebrate his 28th birthday is the spiritual leader of the team and the director who controls the rhythm of the team's game.
In addition, they also have vice-captain and central defender Terranova in their formation. This 25-year-old Italian central defender is also the best central defender in Serie B. His one-on-one defensive ability and awareness of defense are good. Although he is not very tall, he is not disadvantaged in the air and has the ability to gain a foothold in Serie A.
Sassuolo relies most on their talented winger Berardi on the front line. This youngster from Sassuolo's youth training who is the same age as Bruno is known as the Serie B double star this season. The biggest discovery of the Serie B season.
At the Mapei Tricolor City Stadium, Bruno experienced what it means to be unable to defeat four hands with two fists.
In the first half of the battle, although Novara was at a disadvantage on the field, under the leadership of Bruno, it was still able to stabilize its position. But as the game progressed, the role of the thickness of Sassuolo's lineup became apparent.
In the 63rd minute, Novara's defense made a mistake and gave the home team a penalty kick. Terranova made the penalty kick; just three minutes later, Sassuolo's frontcourt duo of Magnanelli and Berardi jointly created the first goal. Two goals.
<divclass="contentadv">In just 3 minutes, the Sassuolo trio defeated Novara!
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A week later, Novara once again lost 1:2 to Vicenza in an away game, suffering a fourth consecutive league defeat!
In the last league game in November, Novara once again lost 11:0 at home to Livorno!
Then on the first day of December, Novara lost 12:0 away to Modena.
Six consecutive losses!
A six-game losing streak that spanned 32 days left Novara in a state of confusion.
The Novara fans kept wailing in despair: What happened to Novara? !
At the beginning of the season, when Novara started the season undefeated in 11 games, Novara fans cheered, and many fans even began to imagine that the team would compete in Serie A again next season.
However, when the team suffered the next six-game losing streak, Novara fans finally recognized the cruelty of football.
This is a world based on strength. Luck may give you a temporary victory, but in a long season, if you want to stand high, you can only rely on absolute strength!
At the time of the draw with Varese, Novara was still 11th in the top half of Serie B. But after this long six-game losing streak, after deducting 4 points, Novara's points still remain at 15 points, ranking 19th in Serie B!
At this time, what Novara fans are considering is no longer whether they can play in Serie A next season, but whether the team will play in Serie C again next season!
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While Novara fell into despair, Bruno was also suffering from huge doubts and self-doubt.
At the beginning of the season, Bruno sent out assists and goals one after another, helping Novara climb up the standings. He was the darling of Novara fans and everyone's hero.
He is also very proud of himself and feels that Serie B is nothing more than that. He is simply wasting his talent by playing in Serie B.
At that time, he did have the confidence to be arrogant. He scored 8 goals and 5 assists in 7 league rounds, averaging 1.5 goals per game. Such data was an absolute explosion.
However, during the six-game losing streak that followed, he failed to make any contribution in terms of goals and assists, which finally allowed him to see the cruelty of reality, and Serie B was not a place for him to get whatever he wanted!
After losing to Sassuolo, Bruno once had some doubts about his life, because the team he led was completely pinned to the ground and rubbed by his opponents, with no ability to fight back.
However, his soul is an adult after all. He has been beaten by society and soon woke up.
In the following twenty days, although he encountered overwhelming criticism from the Italian media, Bruno, as the core of Novara's offense, was mainly responsible for the team's losing streak and the team's sharp decline in rankings. The culprit.
Although he encountered serious doubts from Novara fans, the overwhelming criticism from the media shook the confidence of Novara fans in Bruno.
But his eyes became firm.
He still persists in accepting the basic football training of the training master system, and continues to meticulously accept the special physical training arranged for him by head coach Tessel.
When the time entered December, Bruno's personal physical data was already 12 meters tall and weighed 1 kilograms.When he joined Novara, he was only 80 meters tall and weighed only 75 kilograms.
In less than 4 months, his height increased by 3 centimeters and his weight soared by 13 kilograms.
Moreover, weight gain is not fat, but actual muscle.
In confrontations during games, he no longer loses his balance when hit by an opponent's defensive player. His ability to control the ball in strong confrontation situations has been significantly improved.
