Chapter 9. My Turn to Gather the Wool

June 5th. It has been five days since the last bet. The bookies have probably recovered and managed to make good money off the players.

Eric, swirling a glass of wine, relaxedly sat down at his computer. If the bookies had already collected their share, it was time for him to step onto the stage.

Especially since his friends, Warren and the others, were having fun with his money, enjoying themselves, and occasionally teasing him.

"My money!" thought Eric, particularly angry at Judy, who sent him a whole bunch of bikini selfies surrounded by friends. They all looked Latin and were having a great time.

"If we weren't so well acquainted and if you weren't a lesbian, I would have had you long ago," thought Eric, taking a sip of wine.

He opened his computer and sent a message on MSN.

"Wake up! It's betting day; time to make the bookies nervous."

Warren sent an enthusiastic emoji: "Finally! We've been waiting so long. There are three matches today, which one are we betting on?"

Eric: "Our target is the second match, USA vs. Portugal."

Billy: "Tell us, bro, how much to bet on Portugal's victory? I'm betting all my money!"

Billy expressed the common sentiment of Americans who knew their national soccer team was no good and didn't believe in its success.

But the result was unexpected – the USA won.

There's a famous phrase about soccer: "The ball is round, and anything is possible."

Eric: "No, you're wrong. We are betting on the USA to win."

Judy immediately sent a scared face emoji: "Wait, I get that we were taught to be patriotic, but not to the point of risking money. Even the Bush family is robbing the country!"

"In the last few days, I haven't just been having fun, I've been studying soccer. Portugal is one of the tournament favorites with a bunch of star players. It's their golden generation."

"And what do we have? Pathetic players who together are worth less than one leg of a Portuguese star. It's going to be a massacre!"

Bordeaux: "I agree with Judy. This isn't American football or basketball; in soccer, we are at the bottom."

Eric expected their objections and calmly typed: "I know more about soccer than you do. Remember the first match, who expected France to lose?"

"Besides, it's my money, I'm not going to risk it for no reason. Only bets on underdogs can bring us big money. Trust me and do what I say."

Judy: "Okay, if that's the case, it's your money, but I'm not participating."

Billy: "I'm out too."

Bordeaux: "Me too."

Warren: "Don't you want to hedge your bets? I'm putting my thousand dollars down; if I lose, it's no big deal. I'm with you, Eric."

At ten o'clock, the match began, and according to team strength ratings, the odds were heavily lopsided.

The odds for a Portugal win were 1:1.3, while for the USA, they were 1:11.

It was the first match for the Americans; they had no star players, and their key player Reyna was injured. No one in the world believed in their victory.

But after the end of this match, the odds for the USA would change, and to make money on an upset, the best time to bet is the first game of the group stage.

For the Portuguese, the situation was the opposite: Figo, Rui Costa, Beto – all celebrities, looking like winners and even champions.

Eric and his friends invested about 30 million dollars in various betting shops.

Why 30 million and not 190 million? Because the bookies don't accept such large sums to prevent significant losses in case of upsets. 30 million is the maximum.

All the reliable bookmakers Eric could find were covered. The underground ones were too unreliable and could simply run off with the money if they lost.

As the match began, the five friends, scattered around the world, focused their attention on their TV screens.

The result was shocking: already in the 4th minute, the Americans made a striking move. Player number 20 headed towards the goal, and the Portuguese goalkeeper barely saved the ball.

But the ball stayed in the danger zone, and player number 5 from the USA managed to run up and with a left-footed shot sent it into the net. The score was 1-0, and it was the fastest goal in this championship.

The stadium froze, the whole world froze, Judy, Billy, and Bordeaux were in shock, while Eric and Warren smiled joyfully.

Judy: "Damn! I'm starting to regret it. Are the USA really that strong?"

Billy: "No way, if we were that strong, we wouldn't be called a soccer desert."

Warren sent a mocking emoji: "I told you Eric could be trusted. Learn from your mistakes."

The match then unfolded in a familiar way: Portugal seemed asleep, their attacks and defense were weak, and the USA constantly threatened their goal.

In the 30th minute of the match, during a chaotic struggle, an American player number 21 made a pass.

But the ball oddly deflected off Costa's head and headed straight into the goal.

No experience of Beto could help in such a situation, and the ball ended up in the net again. The score was 2-0 in just half an hour.

Now not only the Portuguese but the whole world was in shock. And also the bookies, who faced huge losses. 

Billy: "That referee is too lenient; he should have shown a red card!"

Warren: "Such behavior goes against the spirit of the game; he should have been sent off."

Eric thought to himself: "You don't understand, there are fouls and simulations in basketball too. The referee wasn't bribed."

Seven minutes later, the Americans scored again, making it 3-0 by the end of the first half.

Now the whole world was astonished, and the bookmakers were worried about their money.

On MSN, the four friends were ecstatic, but soon what they feared happened.

After conceding three goals in a row, the Portuguese team seemed to finally wake up. Two minutes later, Beto managed to score, narrowing the gap and showing the four friends that this guy knew more than just how to dive. Naturally, this triggered a new wave of curses from them.

In the remaining time, Portugal started to attack fiercely, while the US team focused entirely on defense, making everyone nervous.

In the 70th minute, Portugal reduced the gap to 3-2 thanks to an own goal, causing a storm of excitement in the stadium, as there was still plenty of time and hope was high.

Warren: "Damn! What the hell is happening with number 12?! Can he even play soccer?!"

Bordeaux: "Damn Americans! Every year we attract so much talent, why not attract a few star players?"

Eric: "I think it's not that they don't want to, it's just that this desert doesn't attract anyone. Only when they're about to retire do they choose America as a 'retirement home.'"

"Oof..."

The game continued, with both teams fighting fiercely, and Warren exclaimed that his heart couldn't take it, as he had bet $1,000.

Eric, on the other hand, calmly watched the screen, knowing the outcome of the match was already determined.

And indeed, when the final whistle blew, the four of them erupted in cheers.

3-2

The US team sensationally defeated Portugal. It seemed to Eric that he could already hear the sound of coins.