The noise outside the stadium grew louder with every passing minute.
Inside the Palmeiras team hotel, however, there was a different kind of atmosphere.
It was calm.
Focused.
Every player understood that the months of preparation were over.
There were no more friendly matches, no more experiments, and no more excuses.
The league season was finally here.
Players quietly walked through the corridors carrying small bags, headphones around their necks or resting over their ears.
Some exchanged jokes to ease the tension, while others preferred silence, keeping their thoughts to themselves.
In one corner of the dining room, captain Gustavo Gómez finished his final meal before the match.
Across from him, Raphael Veiga chatted with a few teammates about the importance of starting the season with three points.
Abel Ferreira moved from table to table, speaking briefly with each player.
He didn't need to give long speeches.
His players already knew what was expected.
A few minutes later, the team gathered in the lobby.
One by one, players boarded the club bus.
Gabriel Silver climbed aboard carrying his backpack before greeting several teammates with a smile.
"Morning."
"Morning, Gabi," Joaquín Piquerez replied, patting him on the shoulder.
Even though Gabriel had learned he would begin on the bench, there wasn't the slightest sign of disappointment on his face.
He understood football.
No player was guaranteed a starting place, especially at a club as big as Palmeiras.
He had come to compete.
His opportunity would come.
As he settled into his seat near the middle of the bus, he pulled out his headphones but didn't switch on any music.
Instead, he rested his head against the window.
The city slowly passed by.
People wearing green shirts lined the sidewalks.
Children waved enthusiastically as the Palmeiras bus rolled past.
Some supporters held their phones high, recording videos.
Others applauded.
A little boy wearing Gabriel's brand-new number 46 shirt jumped excitedly beside his father, pointing at the bus.
"Pai! Gabriel! Gabriel!"
His father laughed and lifted him slightly so he could see better.
Gabriel noticed the boy through the tinted window.
Although the supporters probably couldn't see him clearly, he smiled and gave a small wave anyway.
Seeing children wearing his shirt brought a strange feeling.
Just a few months ago, he had been another young footballer trying to help Coritiba survive relegation.
Now children were pretending to be him.
The responsibility suddenly felt much bigger.
Across the aisle sat Andreas Pereira, today's starting attacking midfielder.
He glanced toward Gabriel before speaking.
"You alright?"
Gabriel nodded.
"Of course."
"You expected to start?"
Gabriel smiled honestly.
"I hoped to."
"And?"
"I'll wait."
Andreas grinned.
"That's the right attitude."
He leaned back before continuing.
"Every player wants to start. But seasons aren't won by eleven players."
Gabriel listened carefully.
"There'll be games where I begin on the bench," Andreas continued.
"There'll be games where you start instead. What's important is being ready whenever the coach calls your name."
Gabriel nodded.
"I understand."
Andreas stretched out his hand.
"When your chance comes, don't try to prove everyone right."
Gabriel looked at him curiously.
"Just play your football."
The young midfielder smiled.
"Thanks."
Several rows ahead, Abel Ferreira quietly watched the interaction through the mirror at the front of the bus.
A faint smile crossed his face.
Competition was healthy.
Jealousy was not.
So far, Gabriel had handled everything with remarkable maturity.
The bus continued through São Paulo under a police escort.
Traffic slowed as thousands of supporters surrounded the streets leading to the stadium.
Green smoke drifted through the air.
Flags waved everywhere.
Drums beat in perfect rhythm.
The closer the bus came, the louder the chants became.
"Palmeiras! Palmeiras! Palmeiras!"
Supporters pounded on the barriers, raising scarves above their heads.
Some climbed onto walls to catch a better glimpse of the arriving players.
Inside the bus, conversations stopped.
Every player looked through the windows.
No matter how experienced they were, moments like this never became ordinary.
Gabriel stared silently.
He had played in front of passionate crowds before.
But this…
This was different.
The noise seemed to shake the streets themselves.
His heart began beating a little faster.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
The bus slowly turned through the stadium gates.
As soon as it came to a stop, cameras rushed forward.
Photographers lined both sides of the entrance.
Security staff quickly formed a path toward the tunnel.
One after another, Palmeiras players stepped off the bus.
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
Supporters roared every time another player appeared.
When Gabriel finally stepped down carrying his backpack, the reaction grew noticeably louder.
"GABRIEL!"
"Number forty-one!"
"Boa sorte!"
He looked up toward the nearby stand where hundreds of fans had gathered outside the entrance.
Many held shirts with his name.
Others stretched out their arms, hoping for a wave.
Gabriel stopped for a brief second.
He placed his hand over the Palmeiras badge on his training jacket and raised his other hand toward the supporters.
The crowd erupted.
Abel Ferreira watched from a few steps behind.
He said nothing.
But he noticed everything.
A player who respected the supporters usually earned their respect in return.
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere changed once again.
The deafening noise outside became a distant roar.
The corridors smelled of fresh grass, liniment, and newly cleaned changing rooms.
Staff members hurried from one room to another making final preparations.
Boots were already neatly arranged beneath every locker.
Each shirt hung perfectly in place.
There it was.
Number 46.
Gabriel walked toward his locker and gently ran his fingers across the shirt.
For a few seconds, he simply looked at it.
Not because it was his first Palmeiras league match.
But because every footballer's dream began with moments exactly like this.
He took a slow breath.
Whether he played ninety minutes or only five…
He was ready.
Outside, the stadium announcer's voice echoed through the arena.
Kickoff was getting closer.
The season was about to begin.
And Gabriel Silver was waiting for the whistle to blow for kick- off