Chapter 172: The Long Journey Home
November 13th, 2010
The final whistle had barely finished echoing when the celebrations exploded.
The Crawley players let out a roar, part joy, part sheer relief.
They didn't just cheer, they crumbled into each other, a tangled heap of exhausted, overjoyed bodies on the cold turf of a faraway stadium.
Liam McCulloch, the usually calm and serious center-back, found himself locked in a huge bear hug from Thiago, whose face was lit up with a wild, beaming smile.
The two couldn't stop laughing Liam, steady and quiet as always, and Thiago, all heart and energy, caught up in the moment.
It hadn't just been a game.
It was a test of grit, of heart, of everything they had.
And they had come out on top.
In the locker room, the air was heavy with the smell of sweat, mud, and something more the raw, electric feeling of victory.
No one was bragging about goals or flashy plays.
