Everyone on the bus was shrouded in a heavy silence; no one could speak, and the situation was difficult. John wanted to lift the players' spirits, but he found only one solution he knew would affect them deeply. He stood in the middle of the bus and told them: "The player I see silent or frowning will not participate in the match."
They were just simple words, but it was as if he had ignited a gas canister. Everyone began talking to each other in a noisy manner, but John sat down with a smile. The first leg of the journey was to the gas station near the highway where Frank was waiting for them. When they arrived, Frank climbed aboard to find the bus sounding like a stadium from all the shouting. He said: "John, what did you do to them? Have they lost their minds? This is madness, man, but it's a madness I honestly like. I've never seen them in this state on any of our previous trips, haha. Excellent, we will inevitably win."
John replied: "The match is won by those who deserve victory, and we are ready. We hope the atmosphere of the match goes well." Frank responded: "It will go very well. I am honestly optimistic despite all the statistics that agreed we couldn't do anything tonight, but there is something beautiful we hope will happen."
These were just words between two old friends who share a love for a legendary team that had lost its way a long time ago, but the goal was to revive the dream. Time was passing quickly while most of the players were sleeping on the bus. Suddenly, John said: "Guys, this is the place where we will write the most beautiful headline for the most wonderful start in the history of this team. We just need a little focus, Tommy and Richard, a little focus."
Tommy raised his head and looked at the stadium; it was very large and he had bad memories there, but the circumstances were completely different now. A new dream was in his mind, and he told himself that this difficult match was not ordinary, but rather the match of a lifetime. The bus headed to a tourist resort near the stadium where the team would spend four hours before heading directly to the pitch.
After having a light meal at the resort, the final team meeting was held. John stepped in, gathered everyone around him, and said: "Honestly, I want to win as much as all of you, like all the fans of this club. But you know something? Football can be cruel sometimes. For this reason, I want you, as I said before, to just play. Yes, there is a plan and many recommendations and instructions, but this doesn't prevent you from playing. Enjoy the game and everything will be better, in fact, it will be more wonderful than you all imagine now. There isn't much time left. Get ready to board the bus in half an hour; the stadium is waiting, let's go."
John's words left a great resonance with all the players. Some of them played just to see the legend smile—the great star who was wronged by football in the past. Now there was a new dream and a new goal. Everyone set off in the bus, chasing a big dream despite the challenges facing them. The matter was extremely difficult; the Racing team was not the type to allow a victory on its home turf. But anything could happen. John and his team were coming off a dramatic victory despite its difficulty, while the Racing team was also coming off an easy win, even though they rested half of their players because the southern team at the bottom of the table was very weak.
Racing had managed to win 3-0, and all statistics pointed toward an easy win for them without problems. The stadium was packed to capacity, and the local fans' enthusiasm was terrifying; everyone was looking forward to reaching second place and thus securing the second ticket to move up to the second division. The atmosphere made the City team players feel doubt and uncertainty. The pressure of the crowd's whistling when they entered to inspect the pitch was intense. John was standing at the front of the tunnel leading to the green rectangle, looking and remembering the matches he played in this stadium. Honestly, he had beautiful memories here and loved playing in it because of its aesthetics and excellent grass, where players feel comfortable, especially in the quick transition from defense to attack—those lightning strikes the fans love: a touch, two touches, and the ball is in the net with simplicity and smoothness.
The team returned to the locker room and a haunting silence prevailed. Everyone was checking their lockers and preparing their kits. Then John entered, held the ball, and said: "City boys, I've played here dozens of times. I know this stadium; it's very beautiful and you will enjoy playing, and that is what's required. As for this shouting, chanting, and pressure from the fans, this is very normal. How many are they? I think ten or fifteen thousand fans—that is nothing compared to the crowds in the advanced stages we aspire to. Therefore, what's required is commitment to the plan, playing comfortably without rushing, avoiding mistakes, and not getting provoked by the opponents or their fans. We don't need that. The important thing for us is just the first twenty minutes; focus on them. Let's go to the warm-up now, move!"
The players entered the pitch one after another. The first steps were difficult, but immediately after that, it became normal. The players were able to overcome the fear of the stadium and the massive crowds chanting against them. After the warm-up, the awaited moment arrived—the decisive moment where John stopped feeling anything except the fear he felt before the start of the match.
The players came out of the dressing rooms into a loud atmosphere, so much so that the stands were shaking violently. The Racing fans were setting the stadium ablaze with a terrifying atmosphere designed to strike fear into opponents. After the referee gave the signal to start the match, the crowd fell silent for a bit. The ball was with the City team; they passed it back from the keeper to the defense, then a pass to the winger. The ball was intercepted by the opposing team, creating a dangerous attack, but the defense intervened and stopped it with difficulty. John appeared screaming on the touchline: "Quickly, forward! Pass it forward!"
The captain sent the ball to Richard, who sprinted ahead. Three defenders were in front of him, but he managed to bypass the first one brilliantly. Then he spotted Tommy in a space and sent him a curling ball. Tommy received the ball on his chest and set it in front of him as if it were dancing. Without even looking at the keeper's position, he unleashed a rocket, not just a shot, that left the goalkeeper only watching with his eyes as it entered the net. In moments, no one believed what happened. The stadium went quiet as if the speakers had been unplugged. No one was speaking except John, who was running toward Tommy along with the players who gathered around him. There were moments in which everyone wished the referee would blow the final whistle, but it was still very early. The goal was scored in the fourth minute, and everyone in the stadium believed it would be the best goal of the week.
John's plan was going well; five minutes had passed so far. The pressure on them will increase significantly, so what will the result be after that? Can John and his young team deprive Racing of second place? Or does Racing have another opinion they haven't voiced yet? Until the next chapter, we shall see what happens. Goodbye.