The charter flight carrying Chapecoense to the Copa Sudamericana final ran out of fuel eight miles short of its destination in Medellin, Colombia, and crashed, killing 71 people, among themmost of the players on the Brazilian team. This is dedicated to them …
By Jeff Manning
December 2016
No defense against
A shot from 30,000 feet
No goalie quick enough
Could deflect an empty fuel tank
No pre-game strategy
Smart enough to make this save
No series of one touch passes
Cloud slip past this strike
No half time
To re-think, re-group, re-bound
No formation, not even a 5-4-1
Could offset gravity
This was the PK of fate
The bicycle kick from mid-field
The deflection in the box
The ball that hits both posts and still goes in
Does heaven
Have grassor turf
Do defenders rise like angels
And attackers always strike the ball cleanly
Will these beautiful players
Get to play more of the beautiful game
I want to bebelieve, I need to believe
That their season is not over
Thank you.