The swimming pool at the hotel was quiet. The water was blue and still.
Alex sat on a sun lounger. He had a towel over his head.
Maya sat next to him. She was holding a tablet. The screen was full of red dots.
"Morocco," Maya said. She pushed her glasses up her nose. "The Atlas Lions. They are a statistical anomaly."
"Why?" Alex asked from under the towel.
"They do not concede goals," Maya said. "They have played Belgium, Croatia, Spain, and Portugal. They have conceded one goal. And it was an own goal. No opposition player has scored against them."
Alex took the towel off his head.
"They are a wall," Alex said.
"They are a diamond," Maya corrected. "A compressed, hard diamond. Their defensive shape is perfect. Amrabat runs 13 kilometers. Hakimi is fast. Ziyech is technical. And Bono... the goalkeeper is statistically the best in the tournament."
"Diamonds are hard to break," Alex said.
"You do not break a diamond with force," Maya said. "You cut it. With precision."
