The Coaching System-Chapter 207: UEFA Europa Conference League: League Stage Matchday 3 (2)

50' Minute –

The second half didn't open with a spark—it opened with a surge.

Bratislava came out like they'd been caged for 15 minutes. Full-backs higher. Midfield tighter. Weiss Jr. barking at the front three to compress the shape. This wasn't possession now. It was pressure.

And for the first time all night, Bradford were caught backing up.

It started with a ball down the inside-right channel—Taylor couldn't get there in time. Their No. 11 hit the byline and cut it back low, fast, bouncing through bodies like it didn't want to be touched.

Shot. Six yards out.

Emeka blocked it with his left thigh—sprawling, reactive, no time to think.

The rebound spun backward—straight to Bratislava's striker on the penalty spot.

He snapped a second shot—hard and high.

Emeka rose. Too fast for physics.

Palms up. Double-handed block. Parried it over the bar.

Jonathan Pearce (BBC Sport):

"That's a monster double save! Emeka at full reaction speed—body, then hands, then roar. That's European goalkeeping at its very best!"

The crowd stood.

Not out of shock.

Out of recognition.

Jake didn't clap. Didn't shout. free𝑤ebnovel.com

But his arms folded tighter across his chest.

58' Minute – Substitution: Obi on for Richter

Richter jogged toward the bench, sweat dripping from his chin, jersey clinging tight to his chest.

No limping. No complaint.

Just a quiet exit.

He nodded at Jake.

Jake nodded back.

Obi was already standing.

He didn't need instructions.

He peeled off his jacket, tugged his sleeves once, and slapped Chapman's hand as he passed by.

Obi jogged on—not slow, not rushed. Just measured.

Bradford's shape didn't change. But the vibe did.

Now, the man up top wasn't looking to link.

He was looking to break.

66' Minute –

It started deep—not with urgency, but with trust.

Chapman took the ball under pressure, turned back toward Taylor, then reversed it into space where Kang Min-jae could step forward. Bratislava were pressing higher now, desperate for rhythm, committing midfielders into spaces that were once watched.

That was the opening.

Kang zipped a low pass into Lowe's feet. One touch.

Then Chapman.

Then Vélez.

The midfield triangle pulsed once, and then released.

Obi dropped short into the half-space, a defender glued to his back.

He let the ball run across his body. Waited.

Then spun.

One pivot, one shoulder drop—and he was gone.

The defender grabbed at his arm. Obi shrugged it off like a coat.

He took two touches forward. Bratislava's centre-backs retreated. Silva adjusted his run—tight, inside the channel, curling like a question mark.

Obi saw him.

One pass—threaded, low, with the weight of experience behind it.

Silva didn't rush it.

Didn't strike it hard.

He let the ball come across his body, shifted his stance, and passed it with his right foot into the far corner.

It curled just beyond the keeper's glove.

Net.

The sound that followed wasn't an explosion. It was a wave.

Jonathan Pearce (BBC Sport):

"Oh, that's velvet from Silva! And Obi—what a contribution! Strength, vision, timing—Bradford City with a European goal worthy of a reel!"

Silva jogged toward the touchline, arms low, fingers pointed like arrows.

Obi didn't sprint after him. He stood where he'd passed from, exhaling once.

Jake finally allowed himself a small clap—two beats, then hands folded again.

Bradford 2 – 0 Slovan Bratislava.

Controlled. Clever. Clinical.

72' Minute – Substitution: Rasmussen on for Walsh

Walsh walked to the far side of the pitch before the board even went up.

He knew.

He'd run his channel clean. Inverted inside. Took hits. Drew markers. Now it was someone else's turn to carry that weight.

As he made his way off, Jake met him with a pat to the shoulder and a quiet word—inaudible, but firm.

Rasmussen bounced on the balls of his feet, gum tucked in his cheek, sleeves rolled above his elbows. As soon as the board showed his number, he sprinted into position—no handshake, no glance back.

He didn't need settling in. He brought a new rhythm.

Same shape. New angle.

Rasmussen hugged the line tighter, stayed higher.

Where Walsh tucked inside, Rasmussen stretched the field.

The message was clear:

Bradford weren't protecting a lead.

They were preparing the kill.

78' Minute –

But Bratislava weren't dead yet.

Their No. 14 won a corner with a snap shot off Taylor's leg. It was the first time in ten minutes they'd touched the final third with real purpose.

They sent six men forward.

The delivery came in swinging—left foot, heavy whip, tight to goal.

Emeka charged out—hesitated—then retreated.

The crowd gasped.

A scramble. A header. Chaos.

Their striker rose above Barnes and nodded it toward the far post, looping high over Emeka's fingertips.

The ball dipped.

Kang Min-jae had dropped to the post—silent. Ready.

He didn't jump.

He leaned.

And with his forehead, he met the ball like a hammer.

It didn't just stop—it slammed out of the six-yard box, bouncing once before Vélez thumped it upfield with no thought but height.

Jonathan Pearce (BBC Sport):

"Heroic from Kang! That's what leadership looks like when no one's watching! Off the line and out of trouble—Bradford live to breathe again!"

In the stands, fans pointed toward Kang, clapping with the urgency of disbelief.

But Kang didn't flinch.

He just turned back upfield, already repositioning.

Nothing heroic in his mind.

Just a job. Done.

84' Minute –

Bratislava were tired now.

Not disorganized—but dulled. The sting had faded from their press. Their midfielders tracked with heavy legs. Their full-backs were deeper, no longer daring to play high.

And Bradford smelled it.

Chapman held the ball at the base of midfield, circling once with a turn of the hips. Taylor shifted forward on the left. Vélez drifted between the lines, calling for it but not needing it—he was bait.

Then Chapman spotted Silva.

Not calling. Not waving. Just moving. Subtle run—inside to out, then inside again. That hesitation dragged the centre-back wide for half a second.

Chapman clipped it forward.

Silva caught it on the bounce, let it drop, then shaped his body without breaking stride. He didn't overhit it. Didn't drive it low.

He curled. Right foot. Far post.

The keeper was rooted. Ball spinning away from him, frame shrinking behind it.

Wide.

Inches.

The post never moved—but the crowd behind it did. Hands already raised. Then dropped.

Jonathan Pearce (BBC Sport):

"You could hear the gasp before it missed. Silva—so close to a second. That's inches away from a perfect night."

Silva exhaled through his nose. No grimace. No complaint.

He jogged back.

Because the job wasn't finished.

90+2' – Full-Time Whistle: Bradford 2–0 Slovan Bratislava

There was no added drama.

No desperate last push. No heart-in-mouth finish.

Bratislava passed the ball once more across the back line. It was slow. Tired. Admitting.

Obi jogged toward the press, not sprinting—just enough to force it back to the keeper.

And then the referee looked at his watch.

One sharp whistle.

Game over.

Bradford 2 – 0 Slovan Bratislava

The players didn't collapse. They didn't run to each other.

They just stood where they were—small nods, slow exhales, hands on backs and shoulders. A silent acknowledgement.

A European win. Clean.

Controlled from whistle to whistle.

Legia Warsaw – 9 pts | GF: 6 | GA: 2 | GD: +4 | Played: 3

Gent – 7 pts | GF: 10 | GA: 5 | GD: +5 | Played: 3

Bradford City – 7 pts | GF: 8 | GA: 5 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Strasbourg – 7 pts | GF: 8 | GA: 5 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Real Betis – 7 pts | GF: 7 | GA: 4 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Lazio – 6 pts | GF: 7 | GA: 2 | GD: +5 | Played: 3

Stade Rennais – 6 pts | GF: 5 | GA: 2 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Newcastle – 6 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 1 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Osasuna – 6 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 1 | GD: +3 | Played: 3

Club Brugge – 6 pts | GF: 6 | GA: 5 | GD: +1 | Played: 3

Hajduk Split – 6 pts | GF: 5 | GA: 4 | GD: +1 | Played: 3

Slovan Bratislava – 6 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 3 | GD: +1 | Played: 3

AZ Alkmaar – 4 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 4 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Bodo/Glimt – 4 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 3 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Molde – 4 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 3 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Sturm Graz – 4 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 3 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Sheriff Tiraspol – 4 pts | GF: 2 | GA: 2 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Fiorentina – 4 pts | GF: 2 | GA: 2 | GD: 0 | Played: 3

Partizan Belgrade – 4 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 5 | GD: -1 | Played: 3

Lille – 3 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 4 | GD: -1 | Played: 3

Fenerbahçe – 3 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 6 | GD: -2 | Played: 3

Nordsjælland – 3 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 5 | GD: -2 | Played: 3

Braga – 3 pts | GF: 2 | GA: 4 | GD: -2 | Played: 3

PAOK – 3 pts | GF: 4 | GA: 7 | GD: -3 | Played: 3

Viktoria Plzeň – 2 pts | GF: 3 | GA: 6 | GD: -3 | Played: 3

Rosenborg – 2 pts | GF: 2 | GA: 5 | GD: -3 | Played: 3

Dinamo Zagreb – 1 pt | GF: 2 | GA: 5 | GD: -3 | Played: 3

Union SG – 1 pt | GF: 1 | GA: 4 | GD: -3 | Played: 3

Maccabi Haifa – 1 pt | GF: 1 | GA: 5 | GD: -4 | Played: 3

Slavia Prague – 1 pt | GF: 2 | GA: 6 | GD: -4 | Played: 3

Besiktas – 1 pt | GF: 1 | GA: 6 | GD: -5 | Played: 3

BATE Borisov – 0 pts | GF: 1 | GA: 6 | GD: -5 | Played: 3