Chapter 30 – Things Left Unsaid
The match was forgettable.
Palmeiras won 2–0. Comfortable. Controlled. Thiago came on in the 74th, played clean minutes, and touched the ball maybe six times.
One combination on the left led to a near assist. He recovered well defensively. No mistakes. No heroics.
When the whistle blew, it didn’t feel like anything.
He walked off, unsatisfied.
In the locker room, the mood was light.
Players laughed, joked, tossed towels across the room. The striker who scored got a pat from Eneas. Rafael handed Thiago a water bottle and muttered, "You were open. Should’ve shouted louder."
"I did," Thiago said.
"Not loud enough."
Rafael gave him a nod before walking off to debrief with the assistant coach.
Thiago sat on the bench, peeling off his boots.