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In this new episode “The day that Allejo cried”, the author brings us a story that took place in a football tournament in the distant 90’s.
The day that Allejo cried!
One of the advantages of being more than 40 years old (one of the few advantages, it is true) is that virtually everything released for any consoles since prehistoric games on 70’s I have played.
When it comes to football games, one in particular was memorable for an entire generation, the Superstar Soccer Konami that was released on 94 and made many championships and wake up nights at my old video store and games room, the “Spider Games “.
At one of these non sleep nights happened a memorable football tournament with the lights of the four biggest video stores in the region. I could not play because I was the owner of “Spider”, but my rep was Toninho, a giant in front of a Super Nes, despite having only 1.45 meters and a face of a 9 years old kid. The appearance of Toninho was one of his great advantages as potential opponents underrated him, thinking they would destroy him every time, and he was hardly ever the loser.
In the other consoles around the room were the guys from Thousand Games and Games Hard , whom counted more advantages than possible , but it were the ones from Schlep Games that scared us. Besides having a well-trained staff, who really took the game seriously, they had Junior, who was Junior in the name only. With about 1.80 height and must have easily about 150 kilos. He sat a special chair because our could break with his weight. Junior was a pro at a time where it did not exist. He went to game stores and paid to play just 4 hours straight. Drinking a Coke, he only stopped when finished playing a game. And also was fanatical about football and participated in one of the first state championships that took place here at that time. No one knew exactly how he came out, but just the fact of having participated in a state championship gave you a different status in the community. And he did a lot well, in charge of the Brazilian team (at that time there was no clubs but only nationals) he destroyed many opponents with memorable knockouts. It was a pleasure to see him play, but this time he was our opponent.
Toninho was the big surprise, whether on account of the opponents that underrated him, and the quality of his control ahead of the team’s victories accumulated quite easily. After every game played and each stage ended, we were close to see our David versus Goliath battle.
The dawn was already high when the fateful moment arrived; Junior came from an 8×1 win where he had 8 goals with the same player, the hellish Allejo, the Brazilian genius that never existed in real life. It was a time where the producers could not afford the copyright to use the real names of the players, then used generic names, which created new myths in virtual sport. Toninho won a discussed game by 5 x 4, that the opponent claimed he had taken a goal when there was pause request to scratch the nose, but as the rule of the tournament, each opponent could only ask for a pause per game, and he had already scratched at the first half.
Junior was not the type that would underrate an opponent in a final, but the truth is that his skill associated with the size of Toninho should have weighed at the initial facing, which we needed to raise Toninho for the photo. The first contest was to decide who would pick the Brazilian team as both had this preference. And this time the coin decided toward Junior. Toninho took then the good Italian selected.
The start of the game was overwhelming , with about 5 seconds Junior , with the unstoppable Allejo , scored a great goal by dribbling the goalkeeper while Toninho was still putting the shirt over the directional to non-slip . 1×0 to Schlep!
Few noticed, but I was of them. Toninho did nothing, just look at Junior that was still laughing, looked at the screen and gave the exit again. The game became tense; Toninho passed the ball first, the defender Premoli seemed to walk with the ball stuck in the foot, now playing for Pabi or for Graziano. Brazilian players pressed, twice stole the ball but this time Toninho was more connected with his wide eyes made Pagani the goalkeeper jumping from one side to the other picking up the ball. In one of these he threw the ball to the midfield and from there, at the large central circle Coliuto shot. The ball made a curl (within the extent possible that game allowed at that time) and shrouded the Brazilian goalkeeper tying the game and making Junior turn the Coke on the floor of the room. It took me about two hours wiping snot of Coke. And the first half ended with a tie 1 × 1.
The second half began with a request that everybody come back further. Everyone wanted to see who was holding that impossible draw. And I confess that the infrastructure left to be desired for the amount of people around the televisions of 20 inches.
So that what no one (except me) believed happened. Passing the ball, Coliuto reached the bottom line and crossed to the Brazilian area, Carboni dominate on chest, spin, hit the ball and make a great overhead goal, leaving Da Silva (the goalkeeper) punching the ground. I was crazy with the result, as watching the giant Junior raging and looking at Toninho as if swallowing the boy, and comparing the size of both, I think it was possible, but our little boy did not care.
Beranco and Gomes did everything to help Allejo, but nothing really went well. But Junior was a monster (and I’m not talking about his size) and did not give up with about a minute left to the end. So with a sequence of spins, Allejo was facing the Italian goalkeeper, and a shot in the other corner, made the equalizer. Damn tie.
Unfortunately for Toninho (and me) in the event of a tie, the rule stated that the goal difference from previous matches would decide the winner, and this balance was largely favorable to Junior, he just needed to hold the draw and would be the champion.
The tension was solid, Toninho did not move, only had eyes popping even more, I had a certain fear that one of them could fall out of orbit. The game restarted and there was time for one last attack, Toninho controlled Galfano in a diagonal run , Junior controlled Allejo bringing the whole team for the defence and the possibility of clearing the play. The game would end when the ball went to the midfield, it never changed at football matches, so Toninho did his run, goalkeeper Da Silva went out lonely, Galfano cut and shot. The ball passed close to the line when Allejo arrived to take and end the last chance of the game. However there are certain things that we will never understand why , in this case we just blame Konami , EA , the sun , the itching , anything, but the fact is that instead of taking the ball away, the myth Allejo tackled and putted the ball at the back of the net. His own net.
Own goal, Toninho won…
On the television screen an Allejo on the ground crying because the own goal he had done. In the room, the giant screamed, howled, wanted revenge, claimed that the control failed (and would not be possible to verify since he smashed the control on the wall), and that people have harmed him.
Toninho and I decided to go out to get drunk with two or three cokes. We do not even listen to the whole list of excuses shouted that seemed endless, from the playroom. Losers stuff.
Win or lose, it is part of the game. But it is very good when we’re on the winning side, and this time at least, we were.
For now, it is it guys! Leaaaaaaaaaaaaaving!