The Rossoneri against Torino and the Nerazzurri against Liverpool were stronger than the flu: for both exceptional performances that brought to mind MJ’s feat in the ’97 Finals
Refuse to lose. It’s not something for everyone, but an exclusive trait of the most ferocious agonists, the most obsessed athletes. Of the most successful ones, in fact. Christian Pulisic and Manuel Akanji have just reiterated it to the world of football. Defeating the flu, forgetting the exhaustion, erasing it from memory as one app of the past that only annoys. Giganticing against Turin and Liverpool despite the season’s ailments, going beyond the physical limits dragged by adrenaline, by the competitive trance. They brought to mind Michael Jordan’s achievement, doing as he did, “be like Mike” as (if) the advertisements of the time sang it, the one in which the phenomenon of baskets with the Chicago Bulls shirt enchanted the world by redefining the concept of the impossible in sport. Against Utah in the 1997 Finals in Game 5 he showed up on the parquet looking like a mess – food poisoning or a virus, it was never really understood what afflicted him, over time the contours of those deeds took on a legendary mystique that overtook the news on the right – and yet by sheer will, I want very badly, he knew how to beat the Jazz and mortgage those NBA finals. “There are athletes who hate losing more than they love winning.” The words of Brad Stevens, the first manager of the Boston Celtics, describe these dynamics better than any other description.
Pulisic and Akanji
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The Milan striker wasn’t even supposed to come onto the pitch against Torino, weakened by the flu. Then paracetamol got him back on his feet. Allegri, suspended, made the call from the stands and his deputy Landucci sent in the American from the bench with the Rossoneri down 1-2 against the Granata. Entering in the 66th minute, a few seconds later the equalizer came immediately from the boy of Croatian origins, from the center of the area, as an authentic attacker, taking advantage of Saelemaekers’ cross from the left. Then in the 77th minute, Pulisic, who was given wings by the enthusiasm of the first goal – he seemed to be flying, rather than standing upright – collected a cross from the right from Ricci and put the goal into the net with his left foot to make it 3-2 which completed the turnaround and handed the victory to Milan. Winning is the best medicine, a panacea for all ills. Akanji couldn’t celebrate a success in the 96th minute, but in the Champions League against the Reds he was gigantic. Inter’s Swiss defender had missed the training session due to flu and it seemed he wouldn’t be able to be there, at least from the start against the champions of the last Premier League. And instead Chivu threw him in and he didn’t make him regret the gamble. On the contrary. Six recoveries, four closures, beyond the numbers there was a wall back there, neutralizing the forwards “in name” of the opponents, the various Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz. Then a late penalty condemned Inter to defeat, but the former Manchester City player left to applause. He has defeated ailments, giant of steel.
flu game
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June 11, 1997, Delta Center, Salt Lake City. Game 5 of the Finals, series at 2-2, the Jazz are playing at home and have won two games in a row. They have Karl Malone and John Stockton, they have a squad and favorable inertia, they are chasing the first franchise title ever. It seems like a good year, the right time, also because Jordan is ill. Chicago is the reigning champion team, but the one with the number 23 shirt, the number 1 of the game, then, is really sick. He drags on, he’s weak, he doesn’t get involved in the first quarter, he scores just 4 points, his first two baskets. Then his stunt double appears to replace him. But the heart of a champion should never be underestimated, as Coach Tomjanovich said. Never. Jordan returns in the second period, scores 17 points. Of pride. However, they are not enough to turn the game around. And his 3rd quarter is again a ghost, just two points scored and the Bulls trail 67-72 after 36′. They seem to have no escape when they end up down 69-77, sometimes in a low-scoring game, with a physicality that hurts to watch. But Jordan refuses to lose. He doesn’t accept it. Point. Jordan is Jordan, anyway. He scored 15 points in the 4th period, 25″ from the end he scored the triple that gave the victory, 90-88, to Chicago who then closed the series at 4-2 two days later, with reversed fields, winning the fifth title in their history, the penultimate of the Jordan era. The man who flies, his Highness, at the end of the game, closed with 38 points, can’t even walk, Scottie Pippen, the second best player of those Bulls, must support. That photo goes around the world. That feat makes the history of sport. Jordan will later say: “The hardest thing I’ve ever done. I risked fainting to win.” It was worth the sacrifice, he’s proud of it. He did it for himself, to win a personal challenge, he did it for his teammates, for the fans, for a city. To make a basketball moment immortal. Brad Pitt in the cult film Moneyball asked himself: “How can you not be romantic with baseball?”. There’s a lot of money, a lot of money, but it’s difficult not to be romantic when it comes to sport. Pulisic and Akanji they reminded us once again. They may not be Jordan, but they knew how to excite us.
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