Before either could answer again, the fourth official stepped between them.
"Gentlemen."
Both captains nodded as the refereeing team moved into position at the front of the tunnel.
A marshal raised his arm, and then a moment later, the leading official beckoned the players forward.
"Let's go," he said.
The roar waiting outside seemed to double the instant the players showed.
Every step toward the light made it louder.
Then suddenly...
The tunnel gave way to daylight, and almost without a shred of conscience, the AT&T Stadium exploded.
Flames burst upward along both touchlines, but that wasn't the only thing.
Fireworks cracked above the giant video boards as the teams emerged side by side, their captains leading the way beneath a deafening wall of noise.
The giant screens flashed first Portugal's crest, then Spain's, before settling on Ronaldo and Izan walking shoulder to shoulder toward the halfway line.
