Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
Round of 16, second leg
16 March 2016
I run home from University, put on my Atleti shirt and am straight back out the door. When I get to the ground and find my seat next to my mum, I’m out of breath. I take in the view of the Vicente Calderón. Wow, what a place; it feels like home. It’s hard to believe we’d soon be leaving this great stadium. We watch the scarves twirl in the air as the club anthem starts, then the opening whistle blows.
We had drawn 0-0 in the first leg and there are no goals again tonight. We’re heading for a shootout. Should I watch? Or maybe not look and wait instead for the reaction? Peek through my fingers? Incredibly, the first 14 penalties all go in. It’s all square; seven penalties apiece. Then PSV hit the crossbar. It’s down to Juanfran. The stadium goes silent like never before. People are biting their nails, holding hands. Then, just like that, the silence turns into one of the biggest roars I’ve ever heard.
I had painted various scenarios in my head as I made my way to the stadium that evening, but I never imagined it would end like this. I’d never experienced the adrenaline rush of penalties live before. We didn’t know it then, but we’d soon find out what it was like to be on the losing side of a shootout, against Real Madrid of all teams in the final with Juanfran this time missing his kick. But that was for the future. Now, as I turned and hugged my mum, it was time to enjoy this moment to the full.
