Teammates swarmed him at the corner flag, grabbing him around the shoulders, around the neck, shouting into his ears, pushing him, pulling him, celebrating with the kind of joy that only comes in finals when a player produces something unforgettable. He was breathing hard, chest rising and falling, eyes burning with adrenaline as he shouted again into the noise, every bit of the emotion from the night bursting out of him.
And around him, San Mamés was no longer just loud.
It was shaking.
* * *
The goal didn't end the game—it ignited it.
