Chapter 82: Sparks of Glory
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Day Off in Crawley
Today, Niels gave his players a rare gift: rest.
No football.
No training.
Just a full day to breathe, to soak in the love of a town that had become something more than supporters they were part of the team's soul now.
The players spent it surrounded by family, by laughter, by the warm hands of locals reaching out to say thank you.
Children ran through the streets pretending to be Max or Thiago.
Strangers hugged in pubs.
Luka couldn't walk ten feet without someone cheering his name.
Could this quiet day, filled with joy and human connection, light the fire they'd need to shock Chelsea at Wembley?
Only time would tell.
But for now, Crawley believed and that belief burned brighter than ever.
May 7 broke with a dawn that set Crawley ablaze, sunlight spilling over High Street, where red banners whipped in the spring breeze like battle standards caught in a storm.
