The celebrations didn't just stop in the stadium. Individual prizes still had to be announced by the organizers later that evening.
So, the squad celebrated for only a few minutes before taking the bus back to their hotel. They changed into their formal wear before heading to the conference room for the post-tournament dinner party.
Zachary walked with his teammates as they followed Coach Johansen through the too-clean brightly-lit corridors of the Monika Centrum Hotel. Everyone was still in a jubilant mood. They chattered loudly about the match highlights without giving a damn about what those around them thought.
Zachary could feel a strong kinship and camaraderie with his teammates. He felt completely at home with them, having played alongside them throughout the tournament.
