For the second-to-last-place Magos, this was a game of pride — if they lost, they might once again find themselves at the bottom of the league standings. Mago Tromini — a name which translates directly to “Wizard Tromini” but hints at the phrase, “Thank you, bartender. I’ll have another.” — is a ragtag group of 25-35-year-olds who work various jobs during the week, congregate at Las Hoces del Duraton bar in their free time, and generally get their hung-over butts whooped on football Sundays.
Since the club’s signing of American goaltender Sam “Butterfingers” Rosenthal last season, Mago Tromini had won but a single game. During the spring season, their best result was a 2-2 tie (while Rosenthal was on vacation).
But in the games leading up to the match against Iberliga, the team began scoring more and surrendering fewer goals, even as core roster members succumbed to injuries and Couch Potato Sunday Syndrome. The previous week, they lost by an extremely respectable score of 5-3 that would’ve been 4-3 had Rosenthal not swung and missed at a loose ball in Charlie Brown fashion.
Sunday, with about half of the active roster and a rousing two-person cheering section, Los Magos imported four ringers who proved invaluable. Games are played 7-on-7, and Mago Tromini entered this one with — for the first time — a stocked, four-player bench. Los Magos wore orange … and red, and yellow, and something that was described over the phone by Ringer David as yellowish green but was actually Kermit the Frog green. Iberliga Convimar wore light blue and numbered seven players, with no bench.
Things seemed promising for Los Magos from the start, as they generated a number of scoring chances. Iberliga threatened, for the most part, off of set pieces and free kicks from their own goal; long lob-balls to their forwards continually tested the Mago defense.
For the most part, though, Los Magos controlled play. Midway through the first half, they broke through with a beautiful free-kick goal by Pichichi Juan. (Pichichi means “leading scorer.” Pichichi Juan is the only Mago under 25, and he’s also the tallest, fastest, and most skilled. It’s a very long day for the team when he can’t make the games.)
As teams unaccustomed to playing from ahead often do, Mago Tromini relaxed after the goal. In the 45th minute, Iberliga scored a deflection goal off a free-kick, sending both teams into the half tied 1-1.
After halftime, disaster struck. Iberliga still owned the momentum and again caught Los Magos off-guard. One of their forwards received a long pass, dribbled past his defender into the box, and chipped a shot that skimmed Rosenthal’s fingers en route to the net.
Iberliga Convimar: 2. Mago Tromini: 1. The chance at glory was slipping — literally — out of Mago Tromini’s hands.
Over the next thirty or so minutes, Los Magos renewed their offensive intensity and dominated … but they couldn’t have hit water if they’d fallen out of a leaky kayak. The Iberliga goalie made a number of saves, passes went un-received, and — a whopping five times — shots clanged off the post.
The pressure mounted as the minutes dwindled. Would this be like the US Women’s World Cup loss to Japan, or Barcelona’s recent defeat at the hands of Chelsea, where one team controls play but fails to find mesh and suffers in the agony of what could have been?
Not this time!
With about ten minutes remaining, on a corner kick, Pichichi Juan again came to the rescue. Using a deceptive back-heel kick, he slipped the ball past the Iberliga keeper to knot the score. Less than five minutes later, Ringer Carlos, who played great all day but was often overlooked while wide open, received his golden opportunity and capitalized with a glorious top-corner shot that put Mago Tromini ahead, 3-2.
Iberliga seemed exhausted. They fired at Rosenthal on the ensuing kickoff from mid-field, but he somehow withstood the test. He launched the ball ahead to Ringer David, who converted it into Los Magos’ fourth tally of the day. Right before time expired, the forward known as Monchi put one more on the scoreboard. They had broken through the Iberliga goal’s imaginary seal, and the floodgates had opened.
Mago Tromini: 5, Iberliga Convimar: 2. Glory, glory, hallelujah!
The referee’s whistle blew, both teams shook hands, and Los Magos embraced each other as only a team that has known the extreme depths of futility can. They enjoyed “overtime” at a bar near the field, sharing beers, snacks and stories about the game and whatever else. It’s what they do after every match.
But it sure felt good to do it after a win.
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