Straight into the path of Knauff, arriving like the second wave of a storm.
Knauff didn't think. He didn't dress it up. He just met the ball and guided it into the net from point-blank range.
For a split second the stadium went quiet, as if it needed confirmation.
Then it exploded.
Cordero cracked into joy. "Frankfurt are level! Frankfurt are alive! The Waldstadion is shaking!"
And up in the stands, Lukas was on his feet instantly, both arms thrown up, not celebrating like a fan but like someone releasing a breath he'd been holding since kickoff. Joanna grabbed his sleeve as she shouted, and João leapt up too, fists pumping, the box around them turning into its own little eruption. Lukas's eyes tracked the pitch, looking for the players, and when Knauff ran toward the corner with his arms wide, Lukas clapped hard, fast, like he was trying to push energy through the air.
It was 2–2 on the night.
