八字万年历

Chapter 190: Road to Liga NOS Champions 2019/20 XVII

{He walked up to the ball with perfect composure and slotted it in with almost no effort!}

{The Tondela goalkeeper was no match and his team is once again down by two!}

{With this goal, no one has any doubts that Porto is finally out of reach!} The commentator spoke loudly into the mic while the Porto team celebrated their goal.

Jason shared hugs and high-fives with the rest of his teammates, not bothering to do an extravagant celebration as the match was already almost over so there was no point in delaying any further.

The celebrations didn’t take long and the match soon resumed, but no sooner had the Tondela team kicked off when the referee blew the final whistle for the match loudly.

Once the final whistle was blown, both teams started heading off the field with the faces of the victors filled with smiles while the losers had more negative emotions displayed on their faces.

**15th July 2020**

The d-day had arrived.

A kaleidoscope of shifting emotions symbolized the day.

With a potential title lift as long as the Porto team won the game, everybody that favored the Porto side already tuned in to the channel right from the player’s arrival at the stadium.

Porto would be hosting Sporting CP at the Estadio do Dragao and the Porto players would be doing their best to defeat the strong Sporting side so that they could lift the league trophy.

It felt like a final, and to be honest kind of was.

Needless to say, emotions were roiling through the Porto players, staff, management, and fans.

The Porto players however did not show any other emotion apart from determination on their faces as they did their warm-up routines.

After a few more minutes of pre-match warm-ups, the players started heading off the field to their locker rooms for the pre-match tactical meeting.

In the Porto locker room, some of the Porto players were taking off their training vests and getting into their match kits when Sergio Conceicao began speaking,

“We already discussed this, but here’s a quick rerun of our match tactics,”

“Starting with the line-up according to our 4-4-2 formation;”

“Augustin Marchesin will be our goalkeeper as usual, while Pepe and Ivan are our two center backs,”

“Telles is the left back while Wilson is the right back,”

“In the middle of the park, will be Otavio and Sergio Oliveira while Jesus Corona and Luis Diaz will be on the right and left,”

“Soares and Marega will be playing in the center as our two strikers for the game…” After reciting the chosen line-up for the game, Sergio Conceicao paused for a while, looking at the players with expectation and trust in his eyes.

“You know how we play so I’m not going to emphasize on that especially since you know who our opponents are…”

“Sporting is not an easy opponent, but you also know why we can’t afford to lose today’s game,”

“I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate on why today is immensely important for us…”

“I know it, you know it, the fans know it, everyone knows it… but, you must do more than knowing…”

“You must want it,”

“You must want it so bad that you feel like you will die if you don’t get it… You must become addicted to the glory you are going to receive even before you receive it,”

“Imagine it… Visualize it… and make sure to claim it…”

“Forget that losing one game doesn’t stop us from being champions in the next match, I want that trophy in this locker room by the time the ninety minutes are over,” Sergio Conceicao said sternly, and the players echoed him with cheers, and determined looks.

Jason cheered along with his teammates, not letting the fact that he was on the bench dampen his joy… that was if it was even possible.

The bubbling emotions inside Jason’s chest were making it impossible for even any negative emotions to come up from anywhere and he was immensely happy.

How could he not be happy?

His team was about to lift the league title.

In Jason’s past life, he had never come anywhere close to a league title, hell, he had never even touched a pre-season trophy.

He had come close to a few domestic silverware, but he had always fallen short and never lifted a trophy throughout a twenty-something-year career, but now he was about to join his team in lifting the Primera Liga trophy.

It was surreal, it was unbelievable, and Jason could not keep his excitement down which was why there was currently a smile plastered on his face instead of his default flat face.

The smile stayed on his face even as he and the other guys on the bench headed out of the locker room and went to sit on the bench while waiting for the game to start.

The other Porto players were all in high spirits as they came out of the tunnel and the pre-match formalities began.

Soon enough, however, the players of both teams were done arranging themselves on the pitch and were awaiting the referee’s whistle to start the match.

Not only were the players waiting eagerly, the fans were also waiting while almost biting their nails out as they waited for the referee’s whistle.

Porto fans from all over the nation of Portugal and even in other parts of the world were tuned in and awaiting the referee’s whistle.

One would wonder though, that as one of the most successful sides in the Portuguese first division, why were the fans so eager to add one more trophy to their shelves?

Unfortunately, no one would be able to answer the question as the cause and source of the joy could be summed into only two words.

The first word was “football” and the second word was “winning”.

That was all there was to it.

The source of joy and passion from watching grown men kick a ball around a field was already unexplainable in the first place.

All they knew was that it was fun, and it was even more fun to win.

Relationships, friendships, and all sorts of emotions were born out of this sport and that could not be denied.

Arguably till the end of time, football will keep being loved as the number one sport in the whole world… that could not be changed.

*Fweeeeeeee*

The referee didn’t disappoint the expectations of the eager Porto players and their fans as he blew the whistle loudly to signify the match that would end Porto’s quest for the league title.