John was writing rapidly on the whiteboard, sketching, erasing, and thinking. He was doing this with great speed when suddenly someone appeared behind him. He turned around to find Tommy, wearing his training gear and holding a water bottle.
John: "I think you should be with the team doctor, Tommy. I know you want to participate in tomorrow's match, but no, I won't allow it."
Tommy: "I understand that. You are the coach; your decision is naturally respected. But John—and allow me to call you by your name because I consider you a friend, a father, and a brother before being my coach whom I take pride in, as do all the players—I want to say that this match is the most important in the club's history. I won't be able to forgive myself if I don't participate. Please, let me play. I must help the team I love."
John remained silent and continued writing on the board. He turned around again and was about to say something, but suddenly the rest of the players entered the room, making John return to writing for a few seconds. Then he said: "Attention! Everyone, sit down and listen carefully. I will try to simplify all the work you see on the board, so pay attention. Is everyone here?"
The Captain: "Yes, sir. Everyone is here, even Tommy came."
John: "Excellent. Then, as you all know, our plan depends on speed and counterattacks, just as we did in our last match. The difference in tomorrow's match will only be the work during the first twenty minutes, as I said before. How so? When the opponent has the ball, this is considered part of the plan. Meaning, the first stage of the plan is to give the opposing team a chance; we must hand them the ball and let them pressure us. By the way, this stage will be very guaranteed. As for the second stage, it is the most important in the entire plan. In this stage, the whole issue revolves around how to recover the ball—not in our defensive zone, but in the midfield. This means the midfield is the key to victory. However, if we recover the ball in our defense, that is also a positive step. We have Tommy, the fastest player on the team; we will pass the ball to him and he will do his duty and more. We have Richard on the other side, who is also fast. Therefore, guys, simply put: in those twenty minutes, they will pressure us tremendously. We will not retreat; we will look to recover the ball in a clean and smooth way, then with the speed of light, we pass the ball to Richard or Tommy. There is no time for thinking—directly to the net. Do you understand, Tommy and Richard?"
Tommy, with a smile and joy visible on his face: "Understood, sir. I have nothing better than speed."
Richard: "We won't let you down, coach."
John: "Now, everything has gone well, we managed to apply the plan and scored a goal or two. What happens after that? Here, if we manage to score two goals, what do we do in your opinion, Frank?"
Frank: "Haha, I didn't think you saw me. I think... I think we park the bus, close all the lanes, defend with the largest number of players, and waste time. That's all there is to it."
John: "Who agrees with Frank's plan?"
More than half the team raised their hands.
John returned to the board quickly and said: "No, no, no. If you succeed in the first twenty minutes, then the volcano will erupt. We will win the match by a result no one will believe is real. How? I won't tell you; discover that for yourselves. Here, it ends. As for the case where you don't score in the first twenty minutes, or a goal or two are scored against us, in this case, everything will change. We will forget everything that preceded. We will work on trying to deprive the opponent of the ball as much as possible until we can draw them into our areas, and after that, we will work on utilizing our main weapon: long balls behind the lines, breaking the offside trap, and looking for one-on-ones with the goalkeeper. That is all for now. Whoever has any questions, please go ahead."
Frank: "I think scoring two goals means the end of the match. Going back and defending is better."
John: "No."
Silence loomed for only a few seconds. John walked with slow steps until he sat on the desk and said: "Guys, what I said, I believe is good. I might be wrong; things might go differently from what I thought. But winning and losing, although they are fundamentals of the game, are a choice and not a mandate. We are the ones who will choose. Do we choose victory despite its difficulty or—as some say—its impossibility? Or do we choose loss despite its ease? No, no, and a thousand times no. Is the pitch theirs? It doesn't matter. Are the fans with them? It doesn't matter. Stronger than us? Who cares. Do they have professional players and a professional coach? Who cares. We play football. We will go tomorrow to play football, nothing more. Go tomorrow to play only. Choose loss or victory before the start."
All the players left the room and departed the stadium. Everyone was thinking about tomorrow's match. The responsibility was honestly overwhelming. Everyone wanted to achieve a positive result, but the matter wasn't that easy. The Racing team has a formidable defense that cannot be easily bypassed and an excellent midfield skilled in playing through-balls. As for their star player, he is only three goals away from becoming the league's top scorer.
The matter truly seems impossible. Even John's plan for the match wasn't clear in the players' minds. The issue of deciding the match in the first twenty minutes seems like a fantasy against a team that is only one match away from the runner-up spot.
Maria had prepared dinner and sat at the dining table waiting for John, who was late for his usual arrival time. She went to the phone and dialed the number to call him, but suddenly:
Mickey: "It's Dad! Mom, look, Dad is here!"
John entered the house. In truth, fatigue and exhaustion were apparent in him from excessive thinking about the upcoming match tomorrow. Time is passing quickly and his heartbeats are increasing in speed.
Maria: "Here comes the coach of the city team, the best coach in the whole country."
With her smile, she made him forget all the tiredness and overthinking. He said: "He is very, very hungry."
Maria: "That is very clear. The bath is ready, dinner is ready. We are waiting for you at the table. Shower quickly."
The day ended. John's mind was still thinking about tomorrow. He couldn't sleep; many questions were in his mind and he didn't have the answers. But the dream he used to see in his childhood, he was living it now, though with a different taste.
The alarm rang at seven in the morning. John left the room, put on sports clothes, and went out for a run. Every step he took removed a worry and thoughts that burdened his shoulders. He ran for an hour and returned home. Maria was waiting for him as usual. She said to him: "I wish you success in this challenge. For your sake, I wanted to attend, but unfortunately, I won't be able to."
John: "I wished for that; it would have been a good thing. But it's okay. Don't forget to reassure me about your mother's condition when you go there."
Maria and Mickey left the house for their sick grandmother's home. An hour later, John went out to the team's stadium where the meeting was held before setting off for the Racing team's stadium, which was about an hour and a half away.