There are games that hurt, that are endured, that are cried over, and that are not forgotten. On Sunday, Porto and Atlético played one of those games. It was a preseason friendly, not a final that ends with tears on the winner's field, of joy, and on the loser's, of sadness. The Portuguese emerged victorious. It was a tribute to the Silva brothers, two young men who lost their lives prematurely in an accident that shocked the football world. Diogo Jota played for both teams, and both wanted to remember him at Do Dragao with a minute of silence that resonated in the Portuguese city.
By his side, the subsequent applause had less impact on the feelings of the Portuguese public. The emotion for the loss of two beloved compatriots was evident. Two brothers who grew up just a few kilometers from the Dragons' stadium. At minute 20, Jota's jersey number, a new ovation that seemed to pause the game. André Vilasboas, the top official of the blue and white team, visibly moved during all the displays of affection. Simeone, serious, looked up to the sky while applauding the images displayed on the screens of Jota's actions with the Porto jersey.
Two legends from both teams were in charge of the ceremonial kickoff of this significant event. Paolo Futre and a Radamel Falcao, with a physique that would fit with either team's jersey, took to the field in a corridor formed by players from both squads. The ball rolled, and Atlético Madrid's preseason with eight new signings began.
It was the first match for the red and whites after their failure in the Club World Cup. Similarly, Porto also experienced disappointment, so it could be seen as a redemption duel for both. Simeone's team tried to forget that event with an intense pressure from the start, which faded as the minutes passed, and with Porto's increasingly dangerous controlled ball movements.
The Portuguese team has two elusive players in midfield. One of them is Gabri Veiga, who left Europe for Arabia in pursuit of glory. The Galician is a unique player, and it's regrettable that he deprived European football of his talent for two seasons. His play between the lines, passes, and dribbles were distinctive and always posed a threat. The other is the very young Froholdt, a Danish player with an elegant stride who proved unstoppable in his runs.
From the tribute to the Silva brothers, it seemed like the angel Jan Oblak descended from the sky. Last season, crowned with another Zamora Trophy to lead the Olympus with six awards, was the season of the Slovenian goalkeeper's recovery as a standout player. Atlético owed much to his hands in the first half with inspired saves against Borja Sainz after an individual play and a one-on-one with Pepe after a pass from the Danish midfielder of Porto.
However, as the first 45 minutes were about to end, Froholdt found a gap in Atlético's defense. He did it with a simple wall pass at the edge of the box and a lightning-fast and well-defined incursion to the far post. Not even the angel Oblak could stop the Nordic devil. The second half would require a comeback and, above all, improvement since neither the old nor the new players showed up in the first half. There was little from Baena, and only a shot from Julián Álvarez that Costa and the crossbar prevented from becoming a goal by millimeters.
The Portuguese almost doubled their lead at the start of the second half, but Pepe, once again, missed his chance, and Samu did the same in the following play. After the scare, Atlético put on their work clothes to dominate the game with a revamped lineup from the goal. The match was marred by fatigue or a lack of coordination, and only flashes like Mora's shot that narrowly missed stood out.
Not much more in a match that will not be remembered for football but for the tears in tribute to the Silva brothers. Do Dragao bid farewell to Diogo Jota and his brother André with a victory, if that mattered on a day like Sunday.