The Coaching System-Chapter 161: Bradford vs Norwich

Starting XI – Bradford (4-4-2)

GK: Emeka Okafor

RB: James Richards

CB: Nathan Barnes (C)

CB: Kang Min-jae

LB: Aiden Taylor

RM: Renan Silva

CM: Andrés Ibáñez

CM: Santiago Vélez

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LM: Roney Bardghji

ST: Guilherme Costa

ST: Raphael Mensah

Subs: Cox (GK), Fletcher, Holloway, Chapman, Rasmussen, Obi, Richter

The tunnel was silent except for the sound of studs scraping against concrete. Players shifted in place, rolling their shoulders, flexing their fingers. No nerves—just focus. Jake stood at the entrance, watching his squad. Barnes had his arms crossed, staring straight ahead, eyes locked on the pitch like a soldier waiting for battle. Costa bounced on his toes, whispering something to Mensah, both strikers locked in their own world, hyping each other up.

No one spoke. They didn't need to. Every player knew what was at stake. The first game of the season set the tone. Start strong, dominate, and make a statement.

On the other side, Norwich lined up. Their captain, Hanley, rolled his neck, cracking his knuckles. Maddison adjusted his socks, glancing at the Bradford players, sizing them up. They had a point to prove. They weren't here to roll over.

The referee gave the signal. One final deep breath. Boots hit the grass as players jogged onto the pitch. The stadium erupted, a wall of noise crashing down from the stands. Chants, drums, voices blending into a thunderous backdrop.

Jake walked to the touchline, eyes on his players. Barnes turned to his teammates, clapped his hands. One last word before kickoff. No hesitation. No fear.

The whistle blew.

Game on.

1st Minute – Norwich wanted control. They played it safe, passing between their defenders, feeling out the tempo. No risks. Just simple, careful possession.

Bradford wasn't interested in watching. Vélez sprinted forward the second the ball reached Gibson's feet. No hesitation. The Argentine closed the gap in two strides and lunged—clean, aggressive, forcing a panicked clearance.

The ball floated awkwardly, dropping toward Silva on the right. He barely needed a touch, just a quick glance up before threading a pass forward. Sharp. Precise.

Costa read it instantly. He took off between the center-backs, but the pass had just a little too much weight. He stretched, desperate to get a toe on it, but Gunn was out quick, smothering the ball just outside the box.

A warning shot.

Norwich exhaled. Bradford wasn't sitting back. They were here to disrupt, to dictate, to take over.

5th Minute – Bradford pressed high. Every pass Norwich played came with a shadow, a red shirt closing in. Silva forced Duffy backward, Vélez tracked McLean's every touch, and Barnes kept the defensive line high, leaving no space for runners.

Then, Norwich found a gap.

Sara dropped deep, just outside his own box, and took the ball under pressure. One touch, then another—he turned, skipped past Vélez, and suddenly, the pitch opened up. A quick pass into Maddison, who had drifted between the lines.

Jake tensed.

Maddison barely needed a second to assess. His body shaped left, but his right foot flicked the ball forward—a disguised through ball slicing between Min-jae and Barnes. Sargent was already moving.

A race.

Min-jae reacted first, but Sargent had the momentum. The Norwich striker burst forward, took one touch into the box, and went for power—right foot, laces through the ball.

Okafor exploded off his line.

The Nigerian spread his frame, arms out, legs wide. The ball smashed against his left shoulder and spun high into the air.

Min-jae recovered first, clearing into the stands.

A warning. Norwich wasn't sitting back.

8th Minute – Ibáñez took control in midfield, shifting his body to shield the ball as two Norwich players closed in. He didn't panic. One feint, then a quick turn away from danger. Space opened.

His eyes flicked up. Options.

Bardghji.

The pass was perfect—fired across the pitch, low and fast. Bardghji took it in stride, barely breaking his run. The Swede drove forward, his first touch pushing him past Giannoulis. The Norwich left-back scrambled to recover, but Bardghji was already cutting inside.

One step, then another.

The angle was tight, but he didn't hesitate. Left foot, laces through the ball—struck with venom.

A deflection.

The ball spun wickedly, curling away from Gunn, who could only watch. For a second, it looked like it might sneak in at the near post.

Just wide.

Bradford's first real chance. A warning shot.

12th Minute – Bradford moved with purpose. Ibáñez, always composed, dictated the tempo in midfield, rolling the ball under his foot before playing a sharp pass into Vélez.

One touch. Turn. Drive forward.

Norwich's midfield scrambled, but Vélez had already spotted the run. Silva.

The Brazilian hugged the touchline, waiting, then exploded into space the moment the pass came. Vélez didn't disappoint. A perfectly weighted ball, splitting the full-back and center-back.

Silva was through.

The first touch was immaculate, taking him inside the box. Giannoulis lunged, too late.

Silva didn't slow down.

Head up—he saw Costa peeling away from his marker. The cross came in, whipped fast and curling away from goal. Costa attacked it, timing his movement to perfection. A glancing header, flicked toward the far post—

Agonizingly wide.

Costa held his head in his hands. That should've been the opener. He knew it. Bradford knew it. Jake on the sideline clenched his jaw. A chance gone, but Norwich were on the ropes.

21st Minute – Norwich had barely touched the ball in Bradford's half, but all it took was one moment. One misstep.

It came from nothing—a simple long ball over the top.

Barnes, usually so reliable, hesitated for half a second. That was enough. Sargent, sensing the opportunity, bullied his way past, using his strength to hold off the Bradford captain. One touch to set himself, then he unleashed a venomous strike toward the bottom corner.

Okafor didn't think. He reacted.

The Nigerian keeper threw himself low, right hand outstretched. The ball smacked against his palm, parried away—but not cleared.

Danger.

The rebound fell straight to Gibbs.

Bradford's defense was scrambling, out of position, but Lee saw it first. No time to think. He launched himself forward, body on the line. Gibbs struck it first-time, low and hard—but all he hit was Lee's outstretched leg.

The ball deflected out for a corner.

A let-off.

Okafor roared at his defense. Barnes shook his head, frustrated with himself. A warning sign—Norwich wasn't going to roll over.

27th Minute – Bradford settled.

After the early scare, Vélez took control, dictating the pace like a conductor leading an orchestra. Always scanning, always looking forward. The ball moved with purpose.

Ibáñez was next to pounce, pressing high and winning the ball off McLean before he could turn. No hesitation—he played it straight to Silva.

Silva, head up, already knew where it was going.

One touch. A perfectly weighted pass into space.

Mensah, electric, took off down the left, racing behind the full-back.

The Valley Parade crowd rose as one.

Mensah burst into the box, defender trailing, but the angle was tight. He had to cut it back. He tried—but Hanley read it, stretching out a leg to intercept just before Costa could pounce.

Norwich cleared.

Bradford kept coming.

32nd Minute – Bradford thought they had the breakthrough.

Vélez saw it first. A lazy, under-hit pass from Gibbs in midfield—he pounced. One touch to control, then he was off, surging forward.

Mensah peeled wide, dragging his marker with him. Vélez didn't hesitate, threading the pass into his path. The Ghanaian exploded down the left, head up, waiting for the movement inside the box.

Costa made his run—perfectly timed, or so it seemed.

Mensah squared it low across the box. Costa lunged, stretching every inch, and got there. A sliding finish. The net rippled. Valley Parade erupted.

But then—silence.

The assistant's flag was up.

Offside.

Costa sat on the ground, hands on his head. Mensah turned, pleading with the referee, but the decision was made. Replays on the big screen showed it—marginal. Half a step too early.

Bradford's celebrations were cut short. Norwich had survived.

41st Minute – That had to be it.

Ibáñez saw the danger before it even developed. McLean tried to spin away, but the Argentine wasn't having it. A crunching, perfectly timed tackle—clean, powerful. The ball spun loose, bouncing into Silva's path.

Silva didn't hesitate. One touch to control, then a perfectly weighted pass, cutting through Norwich's high line like a scalpel. Costa was already moving, ghosting between the center-backs, his run inch-perfect.

One-on-one.

Jake held his breath.

Costa took a touch, steadying himself. Gunn rushed out, arms wide, making himself as big as possible. Costa shaped to shoot, opened his body—then struck low, hard, aiming for the far corner.

Somehow, Gunn reacted. A desperate lunge, a last-second stretch—his outstretched leg deflected it wide.

The stadium groaned. Costa threw his hands up, staring at the goal in disbelief. That was the moment. That was the breakthrough.

But it still wouldn't come.

HALFTIME – BRADFORD 0-0 NORWICH

The whistle blew, cutting through the tension. Players trudged off, heads down, frustration written all over their faces. Norwich had barely threatened, yet Bradford couldn't make them pay.

The locker room was tense. Some players slumped into their seats, staring at the floor. Others paced. Costa shook his head, muttering to himself.

Jake stood in the middle, arms crossed, eyes scanning the room. He let the silence hang for a moment before speaking.

"We're suffocating them. We're winning every battle. But that means nothing if we don't finish." His voice was calm but sharp. "We need that final ball. That final touch. Stay patient, but when the chance comes—bury it."

Ibáñez nodded. Barnes cracked his knuckles. Vélez wiped the sweat from his face and took a deep breath.

Paul leaned in, voice lower. "They're tiring. One goal and they'll crumble."

Jake turned back to the squad. "Forty-five minutes. We don't let up. We don't slow down. We go and take this game."

A few nods. Then a few more.

The energy shifted.

They weren't just going back out there. They were going to finish this.