Match day in London dawned with a gray, overcast sky that seemed to mirror the tense anticipation hanging over the city.
The morning was a carefully orchestrated routine of team meetings, light stretching, and quiet contemplation. The time for intensive preparation was over; the focus now was on conserving energy, both physical and mental, for the battle that awaited them in the evening.
Mateo woke with a sense of clarity and purpose that had been absent in the restless hours of the previous night.
The nervous energy had been replaced by a calm focus, his mind and body in perfect sync, ready for the challenge ahead. He went through his morning routine with a deliberate and measured pace, each action a small step in the mental preparation for the biggest match of his life.
