Rio made his walk from the pitch to the tunnel with the captain's armband adjusting tightly around his bicep.
Since it was halftime and they were 2-0 up, the Elland Road crowd was buzzing, singing "Marching On Together" loud enough to shake the concrete walls.
Winter looked to be settling in early as the evening breeze carried with it a biting chill. Since it was a Wednesday night fixture in October, the frost was already nipping at their ears, signaling the coming of the brutal festive schedule.
Soon the snow would be covering the turf, bringing with it the glorious chaos of English football.
Coming around the corner of the tunnel, he saw that there were already quite a few people gathered near the dressing rooms. The coaching staff and most of the substitutes had arrived early to set up the halftime fluids and tactical boards.
Rio saw his teammate Dan James standing stiffly against the white-tiled wall, his expression one of pain and discomfort.
