Chapter 83

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The traffic to the stadium was once again terrible. People, those with tickets and those without them, seemed to gather and fill the streets surrounding the stadium hours before the game began. I knew from the first game when I wasn't on the bench that it was an ordeal to get into the stadium, it was a long walk and then a lot of waiting in line to get in. Coming out was even more time consuming.

Once everyone was dressed and ready we headed to the pitch for the last practice. After a quick warm up Scolari gave the last instructions and we split up for a quick practice. When that was done we headed back inside to wait until the game started.

The locker room was so silent while we waited, you could hear a needle falling on the floor. After a while the doors to the stadium opened and the silence turned into a light buzz as the people got inside and found their seats. As the time passed the light buzz transformed into laughter and hopeful anticipation. I felt the charge in the atmosphere, as if everyone's heartbeat was synchronized.

I realized I was so caught up in my Neymar bubble or stressed about the game that I hadn't paid attention to that positive energy all the other times. I wondered whether the players did because it was a powerful motivator. Being nervous about the outcome and existing only inside your head was the worst thing you could do.

As the clapping on the stadium intensified and formed a distinctive beat, I let it fill me up, making me excited. Boom, boom, clap. Boom, boom, clap. Boom, boom, clap.

It seemed like the whole stadium shook in the same beat. The walls, the floor, the benches. Boom, boom, clap.

"What are you doing?" Marina asked me. I opened my eyes and realized I was doing it too, knee slap, knee slap, hand clap. Everyone was looking at me, eyes wide in surprise.

And then across the room David with a big smile in his face slapped his knees twice and clapped.

Returning the smile I joined him. Boom, boom, clap. Boom, boom, clap. Neymar, Hulk, Dani joined in. Marcelo and Fred. Bernard. Marina. Coach Coto. Everyone.

We were one team. We were beating as one. Boom, boom, clap. We were ready.

As the players got ready to go out into the pitch, I saw Neymar clutching the hand of a little girl in his. When he saw me he smiled brightly. I followed the coaches and we settled on the bench. Marina who was by my side seemed to be in a better mood as well. Peter was whistling something that seemed an awful lot like the beat we were clapping to before.

The referee blew the whistle and the game started. It was intense from the get-go. Scolari was pacing around the bench and yelling like a lunatic at times, but no one could hear what he was saying even if he was near us.

7 minutes in and Neymar was at the side of the pitch clutching his knee. After the medics looked him over he got up and went back in, limping.

"This doesn't look good." Marina said to me and I hoped she'd be proven wrong.

And then at the 18th minute David scored! The stadium shook as the crowd erupted in cheers and I saw everyone running towards David, hugging him and then falling on him, making a big yellow pile of limbs.

14 minutes later Chile evened the score by way of Alexis and Hulk's defensive error.

Soon the referee blew the whistle for halftime and everyone headed for the locker room, exhausted. I followed the coaches inside as well.

I felt a sweaty hand on my wrist as I walked and suddenly I was pulled inside a dark room.

"Neymar! Are you serious? There's a camera out there!" I yelled because even though I couldn't see who was there, I knew it.

"Sorry, can't help it. It's half time, it's our time." He said breathlessly.

"Everyone's gonna be looking for you, you go first and I wi—" I started saying but his lips crashed into mine urgently. He was sweaty and hot and I felt the heat on my lips and on my whole body, my own temperature rising. And just like that, without saying another word he was gone and I was left panting.

It took me at least two minutes to regain my composure before I stepped out of the dark room as well and headed for the locker room.

"Olivia I was looking for you!" Coach Coto said as soon as I got in and pulled me towards an empty desk where his computer was. "We need to go through this again." He told me as he sat down and I leaned in to see what he was talking about.

I glanced at Neymar who was looking at me like a wicked little devil, with a sheepish smile on his face, as he sipped water. Dr. Runco and the rest of the medical team were around him, checking his knee and talking to each other and Scolari, who looked over them anxiously. But not Neymar. He had his eyes on me, a challenging look on his face as if he was daring me to tell him off about his shameless behavior. If there was ever an adrenaline junkie, he was one.

"Time to go." Coach Tandres said, looking at his watch.

We headed back outside for the second half of the match and 5 minutes into it Hulk scored but the goal was disallowed because the ball touched his arm. Everyone at the bench got up, protesting and screaming, but the referee had been correct in his decision. Nevertheless Scolari kept yelling at the fourth official for a good 4 minutes. It would have been comical if the stakes weren't so high.

As time passed by, Brazil missed a few more chances, those by Hulk and Neymar being the biggest and after the second half and stoppage time were over we started getting ready for overtime.

The players came to the bench for water and to rest for a few precious seconds and the coaches started giving out instructions on what to do next and what strategy to follow. I heard the word penalty a few times and wondered whether or not it would come to that.

As the extra time started it was evident that both teams were exhausted. Brazil was making more of an effort to end things there but Chile was resistant and before I knew it we were headed for penalties.

Scolari gathered the players and announced the penalty order. I saw Neymar, Fred and Paulinho taking to the others, trying to psych them up. The Chilean team was doing the same. I saw their coach had taken Bravo on the side, taking to him, making vivid motions with his hands.

Without thinking much I ran to Neymar who was bent down in a circle with the rest of the players getting ready and grabbed him by the shoulder. I leaned and whispered in his ear. He looked at me wide eyed for a second and then there was no more time and the players walked to the middle of the field to start the shoot-out. Everyone at the bench gathered to the side of the field, the coaches and then us and the players, embraced in a straight line.

The first player to shoot was David. As he walked to the penalty area I glanced at Neymar who was kneeling on the ground next to the other players. It almost looked like he was praying. That's how much this means to him, I thought and I shuddered at the memory of what I had just told him, moments ago.

When David reached the penalty area, he gathered the ball and placed it at the white line and it felt like it was all in slow motion, the sound muted. I knew what he was going to do, how he was going to shout. It was what we had agreed on, taking the results of my program into account and I felt anxious for David and Brazil but also for myself this time. He took a long run and then...

He scored! I felt myself let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before embracing Marina and cheering along with everyone else around me. One step closer...

Pinilla was next for Chile and he missed. Brazilians erupted in cheers all around me. Willian was next for us and Alexis for Chile and they both missed, leaving the score 1 – 0 for Brazil. Next was Marcelo and Aranguiz for Chile who both scored and we were now 2 – 1. Next up was Hulk. Bravo raised his left hand as if telling Hulk to shoot that way, but he blasted the ball low and hard in the middle. Bravo guessed right and the ball hit his knee and bounced clear of the net. Chileans erupted in cheers, a sea of red, chanting for their team.

It was Marcelo Diaz's turn next for Chile. This was the most decisive one yet, we were 2 – 1. Looking at Marcelo Diaz on the giant monitor I could see he was very nervous and didn't look very confident. But he hit his penalty right in the middle and Julio dove out of its way. 2 – 2.

And it was Neymar's turn.

I felt my breath quicken. I had whispered in his ear and he would listen to me or not and I wasn't sure if I was right. If I wasn't I could cost them the World Cup, with one word I spoke.

Neymar hopped to his feet like he always did and there was an intake of breath so loud, as if all the people in the stadium were breathing as one. He took a long run-up, stuttered, stuttered a bit more, like he always did and when he saw it, Bravo's involuntary movement, a shift of weight so light, he planted the ball low on the left, Bravo having already gone the wrong way.

Everyone started screaming wildly. I felt my knees give out and I was on the grass both Oscar and Marina hugging me tightly as they screamed. I saw Neymar looking up towards the sky and Scolari raising his fists in the air like he just won a kickboxing match.

The next penalty was a blur. It was Gonzalo Jara, Chile's chances on his hands and had he scored we would have more penalties to go through but he didn't. The moment the ball made contact with the woodwork and bounced off of it, everyone around me started running, embracing each other, yelling, celebrating as the crowd chanted "Brazil! Brazil!"

I spotted Neymar, laying on the ground where he was kneeling before and as if our minds were one he looked at me and I saw he was crying. For a second I felt my ears buzz and I thought 'this is too much' but then I saw him get up and I did the same and we met halfway and I hugged him tightly as he whispered: "You won this for us.", in my ear. And then Scolari was there and he hugged Neymar who still sobbed, whose sweat and tears I could feel in my neck.

Everyone gathered, hugging and crying and celebrating and I saw David hugging Alexis as the devastated Chileans realized that this was the end of their journey.

I felt tears in my eyes too, for the Brazilians and the Chileans and what the game meant to them all. I hadn't realized before just how much it meant to them. Or I had forgotten it. I felt hands on my back and it was Thiago whose eyes were red too.

"We won." He said and it sounded like he still couldn't believe it himself.

"Yes we did." I said wiping the last of the tears as we walked back towards the locker rooms.

~*~

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! It was extra long and it took a while to write because I had to get the facts of the game straight, but it was fun writing it! If you liked it please vote and comment!

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