“Maybe he needed to work more, meditate less. Or maybe the gray had finally started to show, taking years off his expiration date. But he still had the spark, or at least the kindling; he was sure of that. He still squared himself in front of defenders. He still lifted his head to survey the field. He still left a trail of pointed fingers and agitation every time he dropped his defender. Dip the shoulder. Accelerate. No-look pass. Keep pace. Bring it down. Chip it back. Goal. His game had never been about misdirection; the words of his coaches still rang in his head: ‘focus on fundamentals.’ Sure, the gap was smaller than the days when bleached hair and cut-off shorts were all you needed to turn pro, but he could still tug the string and leave defenders in knots.” futbolintellect