Greatest Of All Legends

Chapter 490: Him or The Team I

Chapter 490: Him or The Team I

***17th February***

The sun that shone over the streets of the city of Porto was beginning to disappear behind the horizon when a black and white bus with the Uventus logo on its side slowly drove into the compound of the Oporto team’s home stadium, Estadio do Dragao.

The Uventus team had arrived for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Oporto and their arrival caused the nearby fans to look over at the bus carrying the players that would soon be running out on the field.

Some fans tried to get closer to the bus, but the security guards held a tight line, not letting anyone through to hamper the arrival of the visiting team.

The bus soon disappeared out of sight of the fans and drove behind the stadium to an entry for players and staff personnel of the club.

Finally coming to a stop, the Uventus players began to deboard, everyone of them carrying at least one bag that contained their effects.

Cameras continuously flashed as the players got off the bus and walked into the stadium and the flashes of the camera increased or decreased proportionally, depending on the player who was being captured.

For most of the Uventus players, it was their first time at the Estadio do Dragao, but for Jason who had been playing at this stadium for most of the previous year and had only been gone for about a month, a nostalgic feeling rushed up through his body as he once again laid sights on the stadium of the club where he began his football career.

As the cameras picked up Jason, the place filled up with flashing lights, reminiscent of when Ronaldo had gotten off the bus a few seconds earlier.

As a player on loan returning to play a Champions League game against his home club, it was definitely warranted for him to be the center of attention, but Jason didn’t mind the flashing cameras and only smiled behind his face mask as he entered the stadium along with the rest of his teammates.

“Feeling homesick?” Jason heard Mckennie’s voice behind him.

“Not really, it’s barely been a month,” he shook his head with a little laugh.

“I was about to say you shouldn’t let it affect you on the pitch, but you seem like you’re good,” Mckennie said in a low tone as he patted Jason’s shoulder.

“Oh, thanks,”

Why would his homesickness affect his performance on the pitch?

Maybe for someone else it could happen, but Jason didn’t think his feelings to trash ‘Mylo’s club’ was weaker than the love he had for his home team.

At this point, the best Jason could promise his home team was that he wouldn’t do a flamboyant celebration if he managed to score in the game.

Going forward, Jason finally got to experience what it felt like to be in the away team’s locker room at the Estadio do Dragao and he for one did not care nor react to the obvious different level of comfort as compared to the home team’s locker room.

These things were normal in football and as long as the home teams weren’t too obvious with it, these things were ignored.

As the players began to prepare for the game, changing into their jerseys and putting on their equipment, the manager once again began to give a rundown of the previously discussed game plan.

“Like we already discussed, we’ll be going with our usual 4-4-2 formation,”

“Buffon will be the starting goalkeeper, Chiellini and Bonucci are the starting center backs,”

“Danilo and Alex Sandro will be on the right and left sides of the back line, they will alternate between their attacking and defensive duties so whenever we’re attacking from the right, Cuadrado will move up to assist on the attack while Alex Sandro will remain behind to form a three-man backline, and vice versa,”

“Unless absolutely necessary, I want there to always be at least three men covering our backs,”

“Mckennie and Ramsey will form a center midfield partnership, doing their part in defending the center, sending the ball down to the flanks, and staying ready to assist on the attack,”

“On the wide right will be Kulusevski, I want you alternating between helping out on the flanks and helping the two others in midfield,”

Pirlo expounded, turning to Kulusevski who responded with a nod.

“Jason, you’re on the left, with a duty mainly as a left winger rather than a midfielder, I want you making runs, annoying the defenders with whatever tricks you have up your sleeves whenever you’re with the ball,”

“If you see a chance to break past, go for it, and keep your eyes peeled to find open teammates,”

“When you’re not on the ball, you can come back to help out in midfield, or stay forward to try making runs in behind the defense, I’ll leave your decision to your discretion,”

Jason nodded affirmatively as he adjusted his socks, indicating that he got everything down.

“Ronaldo and Morata, you two are up front,” Pirlo began, turning to the two front men.

“Morata, your duties in this match include helping a bit on the right wing whenever Kulusevski drops back to midfield,”

“When that happens, our formation will shift to a 4-3-3 one with Jason on the left, Ronaldo in the center, and you on the right,”

“You’ll be playing as an inside forward or a supporting striker then,”

Pirlo explained Morata’s duties before finally turning to Ronaldo,

“And Ronaldo… Do what you do best,” Pirlo finished with a smirk.

“Clown around?” Ronaldo asked with a serious face, causing everyone to burst out in laughter, dissipating the tension that had been slowly rising.

“I think they meant doing the Siuuuu,” Jason added from the side and the Uvventus players laughed even more with some of them doing a mock version of the celebration.

“No no, its’ scoring penalties,” Mckennie also chimed in, causing everyone to laugh as well.

“Wrong! What this guy does best is having kids,” Cuadrado didn’t allow himself to be left out of an opportunity to tease a teammate.

“Okay okay, Ronaldo, just score goals please, we don’t need you trying to have kids on the pitch,” Pirlo added with a straight face, but no one believed the serious look on his face after hearing what he said.

The room was filled with laughter right after.