Capítulo 24: Chapter 24: The End of the Winning Streak please subscribe to my patreon
Chapter 24: The End of the Winning Streak
On the afternoon of April 20th, during matchday 38 of Italy's Serie B, nine matches were played simultaneously. Sassuolo hosted Bari at home, while Novara received Modena at their own stadium.
All of Italy was focused on these two matches, as any mistakes at this point could mean falling behind in the crucial battle for the top spots. Although Serie B mostly maintained a one-match-per-week pace throughout the season and the intensity of the games wasn't too high, the players were facing some difficulties at this stage of the season, especially the regular starters.
They might not have had physical endurance problems, but they were definitely mentally exhausted. After all, this kind of prolonged struggle is extremely draining mentally.
Moreover, both teams were facing opponents who were not weak. Bari was in eighth place on the standings, while Modena was in ninth place and still had hopes of qualifying for the promotion playoffs. Therefore, neither team's match was going to be easy.
Especially for Novara, despite having achieved an impressive 20-match winning streak in the league so far, most of the players were mentally exhausted. There's a proverb that perfectly describes their current state: "the last arrow in the quiver!"
...
In the match against Modena, both teams played very intensely in the first half, and the score remained 0-0.
In the second half, Novara launched a strong attack towards Modena's goal, supported by their home fans. However, Modena surprised everyone with a quick and effective counterattack in the 54th minute, when their forward, Simone Gonz, scored a solitary goal.
The Piola Stadium fell into a deathly silence.
The fans looked on in confusion.
To them, Novara had been besieging Modena, practically cornering the opposing team in their own penalty area. It seemed like a goal was imminent, but suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Modena counterattacked and took the lead on the scoreboard.
The disparity in emotions was overwhelming! Would the team's 20-match winning streak come to an end? Would Novara be defeated by Modena?
The De Salvo family, owners of Novara, were also in the stands, and seeing their team fall behind, they showed expressions of disappointment on their faces.
However, just when the team was in a desperate situation once again, Bruno took the initiative and led Novara in a desperate counterattack.
...
When the main referee blew the final whistle, Piola Stadium seemed to turn into a sea of celebration, with over ten thousand Novara fans immersed in a frenzied celebration.
The fans in the stands looked like a human tide, chanting Novara's team anthem at the top of their lungs, creating a grand and moving scene that left the opponents trembling.
In the executive box, the two members of Novara's De Salvo family also deeply felt this impactful scene.
"We can beat any opponent!" said the club's general manager, Giaretta, with a satisfied smile as he pointed to the red scoreboard displaying the final match result.
2-1.
That was the final score of the match!
Bruno scored a goal in the 67th minute and another in the 89th minute of the second half, helping Novara defeat Modena 2-1. This extended the team's winning streak to 21 matches and also prevented the team from being caught by their opponents. Additionally, in the standings, Novara continued to chase Sassuolo, who also won 2-1 against Bari on this matchday.
"Although we don't understand football, I feel respect, victory, and passion. This is an incredible team," said one of the De Salvo family members from the bottom of his heart.
The other nodded continuously: "It's shocking. The previous match against Sassuolo already left me very surprised, but I didn't expect tonight to be even more exciting. Whether on the pitch or in the stands, it's unforgettable."
...
In the final battle of April, Novara fans hoped that their team would continue to perform miracles, as in the first match of matchday 39 of Italy's Serie B, Sassuolo, playing as visitors, suffered a surprising 1-2 defeat against Modena, the same team they had defeated in the previous matchday.
With this result, if Novara could defeat Padova as visitors, they could overtake Sassuolo in the standings and claim the top spot.
Novara fans were full of confidence, as in the first leg against Padova, they had won 3-1.
The match began, and everything seemed to be unfolding according to the Novara fans' expectations.
Although in the 18th minute, Padova's 34-year-old veteran forward, Emiliano Bonazzoli, scored the first goal, Novara soon showed their strength. First, in the 20th minute, Padova's Argentine defender, Paulo Dellafiore, scored an own goal during a corner kick, and then in the 23rd minute, Novara's Zalayeta scored to turn the score around.
Only 5 minutes had passed since Novara quickly took the lead.
And in the 41st minute, Bruno again assisted Sfeir to score, changing the score to 1-3 in favor of Novara.
As usual, the visiting team was in the lead.
However, when the match entered the second half, the situation changed dramatically.
In the 52nd minute, Padova's Brazilian forward, Diego Farias, quickly narrowed the gap for his team.
Then, both teams fought fiercely on the field, and when the match entered stoppage time, the score was still 2-3, with Novara leading as the visitors.
However, just as Padova's fans had accepted Novara's defeat in their stadium and Novara secured their 22nd victory in Serie B, Koutolo, who had just come on as a substitute for Padova, in Padova's final attack, performed a dazzling series of dribbles that broke through Novara's defense and sent the ball into the back of the net.
The Euganeo Stadium erupted into a frenzy, with 30,000 Padova fans letting out a thunderous cheer of celebration.
No one expected that Novara's 21-match winning streak would be halted by themselves. Is this fate, that Novara's winning streak began in Padova and now ended in Padova?
...
While Padova's fans were in ecstasy, around two thousand Novara fans who had traveled with the team were plunged into deep sorrow.
Just a day ago, when Sassuolo was defeated by a goal in the last seconds by Modena, many of them laughed joyfully.
At that moment, no one thought that something similar would happen to them the next day.
Novara's players were also stunned. They didn't expect that with the main referee about to blow the final whistle, their victory would slip away like that. Three points turned into one point, and the lead in the standings naturally disappeared.
Could this become the direct reason why Novara lost the championship?
Especially for not being able to stop Koutolo, who, with his quick speed, finally passed three players and scored, Novara's vice-captain, Rudi, knelt painfully on the grass, burying his face deeply into it.
If the team really lost the league championship this season because of this goal, he would definitely regret it for the rest of his life.
Bruno was also very disappointed, but he quickly reacted and lifted his teammates one by one.
The main referee hadn't blown the final whistle yet; the game still had to continue.
However, Novara was ultimately unable to achieve the miracle, as the main referee, after they restarted the game, immediately blew the final whistle, giving Novara no time for an attack.
Novara's winning streak stopped at 21.
(End of Chapter)
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