The players stood in the tunnel preparing to enter the pitch. John was standing behind them; he did not step onto the field. He waited for both teams to enter, then, with heavy steps and a tight chest, he followed. In truth, he was breathing with difficulty.
But everything changed the moment John appeared walking toward the bench. The crowd erupted, chanting and calling his name. Everyone loved to sing: John De Julian, John De Julian. The stadium turned upside down—screaming and cheering like mad. John greeted the massive crowd that supported and encouraged him.
Maria was in the stadium. She saw how happy John looked. She realized that this was where he belonged, or where he should have been long ago, even though tension was clearly visible on his face.
The opposing team's players were smiling and laughing; some of them were actually indifferent to the match. For them, victory was just a matter of ninety minutes and a few seconds. Even their coach, out of sheer mockery, left some of the team's stars on the bench and said loudly to the players: Enjoy the game.
John remained silent, watching without moving.
The referee blew the whistle and the match began. The crowd cheered in one loud voice; the atmosphere was intense, and the desire to achieve the impossible was overwhelming. But it was not enough. With a beautiful dribble and high skill, a young player from the opposing team advanced, bypassed the defense, and fired a powerful shot so strong that the goalkeeper froze in place until the ball hit the crossbar, silencing the crowd and bringing back the feeling of failure and defeat.
John's team held the ball for the first time. Player number seven sprinted forward, managed to get past the midfielders, and tried to send a cross into the penalty area, but the defender intervened strongly and cleared it for a corner. It was the team's first corner of the match. John asked for the ball to be played short and brought back. He had noticed that his team was not holding possession enough. He asked the players to keep the ball as long as possible, but it was extremely difficult. The opposing players had great speed that could not be stopped this way, and their transition from attack to defense was very fast. In the 17th minute of the first half, a through pass from midfield reached player number eight, who passed it to player number ten, and with a brilliant finish, he scored. They were playing alone at that moment; John and his players were like spectators watching the game.
John tried to urge the team to hold on and keep the ball as long as possible. At one point, he shouted angrily when player number three passed the ball too quickly:
John, it's a ball made of leather, not fire—it won't burn your feet. Hold the ball, keep it.
During these instructions, and seconds before the end of the first half, player number 11 managed to score the second goal from outside the penalty area, astonishing everyone. Immediately after that, the referee ended the half and sent both teams to the locker room.
Before that, John was already running toward the locker room.
The players entered, shock visible on their faces. None of them could say a word. The feeling of defeat completely dominated them. They thought the match was over, that defeat was inevitable, and that John would scold them for this poor result.
John:
Guys, you were at a very high level.
Everyone raised their heads—what did he say!?
John:
Yes, you delivered an excellent half, far more than I expected. You carried out what was required and played with high spirit and fighting mentality, and I am proud of that. I am very proud to be your coach. Honestly, I felt great relief because the first half went well.
Frank was among the players:
John, we lost the half by two goals.
John:
Don't interrupt. Now we will enter the second half in the same way. Everyone should try to pass the ball to Tommy, and he will either send a cross into the penalty area or take a shot from outside.
On the other hand, the first and second goals could not have been avoided. That is normal; it will not affect us. We are on the right path. Just remember, winning requires more patience, not effort. Don't run after the ball—make the ball run for you. And don't forget all the people in the stands—our families, our brothers, our relatives, and our friends. We must make them go home happy. How? I say you are capable of winning. Three goals—you can score more. Please, play for everyone, for the team. Are you ready to turn things upside down?
The players, loudly and with great energy and desire:
We can!
The team captain stepped in:
We can do it. We're up for it. Let's go, men, to the field now. And we will play for the fans in the stadium and those watching us in cafés. We will play for you, John. Yes, we will play for you, and we will dedicate the victory to you. Let's go to the field. There will be no excuses—we will tear the net. Let's go!
Everyone:
Let's go! Let's go!
Maybe they were just words. Maybe it was already over and the team had truly lost.
Everyone entered the field. The first shock—the opposing coach realized John's plan of relying on crosses, so he changed the team's formation and brought in the starting players. The task went from difficult to impossible.
The referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the second half.
The ball was with John's team. Passes between the players—midfield passed the ball to Tommy, who made a successful dribble, but at that moment he chose to shoot instead of crossing.
John on the bench said to himself: Do it, Tommy.
He managed to open an angle and, without seeing the goalkeeper's position, curled the ball toward the goal. It passed the goalkeeper. Everyone jumped from their seats—but the ball hit the crossbar and went out.
John:
Bravo, bravo! Again, come on, back to defense!
The opponent's passes were fast. If not for luck and the goalkeeper's brilliance, John would have conceded a third goal that would have meant the end of the match.
The goalkeeper passed the ball directly to Tommy, who once again got past the midfield, but the defense trapped him in the corner before he made a move that made the crowd leap in joy. He stunningly dribbled the defender and lifted the ball into the penalty area. Tommy watched the ball rise—it was closer to the defender who prepared to clear it, but out of nowhere, the captain appeared and headed it powerfully, as if tearing the net just as he had said.
John on the bench could not believe his joy. Yes, they had scored a goal.
The captain grabbed the ball and ran back to the center quickly—there was no time to celebrate. He said:
Guys, they are weak. Let's go forward. We will attack with full force and without stopping.
The following minutes saw attacks from both sides without result. The opposing team's attacks were dangerous and could have resulted in many goals, especially after their coach brought in all the star players, sensing the danger.
There were still 7 minutes left in the match.
Player number six, in an excellent move, managed to break through. He faked a shot but passed to Tommy, who controlled the ball and, unbelievably, shot. The goalkeeper stood still and watched the ball hit the net—it was the equalizer.
The cheers rose and the chants grew incredibly loud. Everyone shouted and cheered:
John! John! John! We want the third, John!
It was truly madness. But the third goal did not come to pass. Instead, the referee awarded a penalty to the opposing team—it was like a bullet of mercy.