The Third Half Page #3

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Our next game is against Hajduk.

It's quite a challenge. Hajduk

are Croatia's best team.

She's agreed to come to

a soiree on Tuesday.

- But I need a suit.

- I don't have any. Ask Manga.

It'll be our first game together.

Manga, can you lend me a suit

for Tuesday? - Gambling again?

No, I need it for something

else. - For what?

I think Ive fallen in love.

So I'll say only...

I locked it!

What's this?

You've grown!

When your mother brought

you into this world,

your feet were so tiny they

could fit inside a matchbox.

When the doctor told me your

mother had died in childbirth

I couldn't look at you

for weeks...

It was nonsense, but I

somehow blamed you

for taking her away from me.

And then one night your

crying made me open my eyes

and I saw those two feet.

So tiny...

My little daughter.

I've been a good father tonight

and made you some cookies.

I prepared a gift for you.

It belonged to your mother...

Take it.

It's part of your dowry now.

What grace!

More than 500 years of history

rest on your pretty neck.

Ages ago it belonged to

your great-great-grandmother

who lived in Spain,

our old fatherland...

In those times we helped the

Spaniards to push the Arabs

back to Africa, but the

Catholic king betrayed us:

He ordered that Spain expel

anyone who didn't wear

a cross around their neck. That's

how we ended up here, among

these belligerent Balkan peoples.

A new war every now and then...

It wasn't all that bad. You made

a fortune from their intolerance!

We don't take sides anymore.

And, above all, we do not mix.

Has the Greek army ever

found out how you supplied

- both them and the Turks?

- Shut up, you brat!

The whole town's gossiping about your

secret dates with that gangster.

- He's a football player, Dad.

- People are laughing behind my back!

Because I love a penniless

man from another religion?

This world is not

made out of love!

Every bird should flock

with its own kind.

If you ever abandon your flock,

Rebecca, you'll die alone, doomed.

Attack in W-W formation:

Wings, half-backs, center;

Then midfielders,

center-midfield and fullback.

Easy, Yordan! Keep it low!

Good day, Herr Pavlovich!

Who are you cheering for

today? Us or the Croats?

I'm not cheering for,

I'm cheering against.

Hey, referee!

You got a daughter?

You don't have to score a great

goal. A small one also counts!

Get it, pass it, play!

Like the tango, pa -pah-pah!

What are you doing, man? The

ball has to be on the foot!

Sorry, I'm not feeling

well today...

Need a doctor? - Sure.

Someone to examine my head.

I spent the whole night out

in the rain, like an idiot!

Spread it wide! Open up!

Escape your marker...

Don't pull those faces at me!

It's all your fault!

- What do you mean "my fault"?

- Who's talking to you, Dimitriy?

Don't address me in

that tone of voice!

Oh, I see! Now we suddenly

don't know each other?

What the hell's wrong

with you today?

Can't you just shut

up for a second, Dimitriy?

Now shoot! Shoot!

Yes! Goal!

There is a God in Heaven...

There, this one was for you!

Do you want me to score

another one?

Go ahead! Your wish is my

command, you toffee-nosed brat!

Who are you calling

toffee-nosed, you hooligan?

You, darling! You're a stuck-up,

snobbish, spoilt little brat!

And you know what you are?

You're a braggart, a peasant,

a smuggler - and a skirt chaser!

- Me, a smuggler?

- Watch out!

Kosta! We all play

together here!

Kosta! Pull yourself together!

Get back, everybody!

Play defense!

Retreat!

I told you to keep left...

"Women make the highd hs higher

and the lows more frequent."

- What d' you say?

- I'm quoting Nietzsche.

I mean, what do you say

about the match?

I say:
Every match

has two halves.

We need to put in more work.

Let's face it, Dimitriy,

we're not good enough.

And even your former football

legend can't make us any better.

Shut your face, Skeptic!

What? You blame me

for your failure?

No. But I wouldn't mind us

winning for a change!

All right. Our next training

will be at the railway station.

Don't come in jerseys.

Bring some old clothes.

What's that crap he just said?

What is it, Pepo? - Someone

left this in front of our door.

For me? - I'm sure it's

not for your father, Miss.

- PEOPLE ARE LIKE SHOES.

- THEY COME IN PAIRS!

Here he comes!

Good morning, gentlemen!

Everything going swell?

No no, thank you. Ill just

leave it here for now.

Come with me! The training

begins inside in a minute.

Get inside, please.

Now, each of you take one

of these brooms and brushes.

What's this, the famous

German sense of humor?

You said you wanted

to win for a change?

This is how the change begins.

My trunk is waiting outside.

Either start cleaning,

or I catch the next train!

You're not going to

join your president?

Loyalty is the first of the

Bushido vikues... Pancho.

Skeptic?

Yordan...

Stambol?

For today's training I'd like

to tell you an old German tale.

It's about a boy who dreamed

of finding the Holy Grail,

the same way you dream of

winning a match.

He set off on a quest and ended

up in the castle of an old man

who offered him a cup

to drink from.

The cup was the Grail itself

but the boy was too immature

to recognize it. First he had to

grow, both spiritually and mentally.

Africa! You cannot remove

that stain by brushing.

You need to scrape it off,

with your fingernails.

Some say our Savior

drank from that cup.

Others say it contained His blood.

However, it was divinely perfect.

So this story is a metaphor

of a quest for perfection.

Whatever a man does

whether he's playing football

or cleaning a dim toilet, he

should do it to perfection.

Now stop! Look at the result of

your work and tell me:

Is this floor perfectly cleaned?

No, it's not. Look!

Which means you should

try harder.

Especially you.

And remember! Yt's not the goal

that's important, but the quest itself.

Keep working!

Have you finished the guest-list

for the birthday party?

I have, sir. - You've invited

the rabbi? - Certainly.

- And did you call the Governor?

- I sent him an invitation.

I told you to call

him personally.

- Good morning.

- Morning.

What's the news today?

How would I know?

I'm illiterate!

What does it say, Pepo? I don't

have my glasses with me.

"Yugoslavia has joined the

Tripartite Pact. Following the"

signing, our Prime Minister

attended a long conference

with Mr Hitler in person."

- Hitler? Are you sure?

Hitler! - Take the

Governor off the guest list!

- Good morning.

- Morning.

Morning, morning...

I'm sure it's a good day for his

damned Ayan Race!

Allow me to say that he never

declared himself a Nazi.

Even worse! An undercover Nazi

coaching a gang of local goons.

Such wonderful company

my daughter keeps!

Speaking of her, where is she

right now? - At the lake,

with the choir. - What

a chance for him to infiltrate!

- It's a female choir, sir.

- Don't be stupid, Pepo!

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