SREĆAN

“The harder I work, the luckier I get”.
- Samuel Goldwyn

The Stoics considered that luck or srećan (the Serbian word for luck), from the point of view of a rational person, in its conventional sense, is an illusion: any event ordinarily ascribed to luck can in the end be explained in terms of reason.

Sounds legit! Anyone who was able to watch the game in Monterrey could conceivably assert that Guadalajara were lucky. But, were they really?

Monterrey were all over an extremely hesitant Red and White eleven in the first half. The Norteños consistently broke up play after play by hook or crook and launched wave after wave on an unrecognizable Rebaño. It seemed just a matter of time before those gathered in La Sultana would rise to their feet in celebration of a Blue and White goal.

Alas this was not to be. One thing that was consistent with the Red and White side we saw in the Copa Sky was our defense. Mayorga, Chiquete, 'Tiba', 'Chapo' and of course an outstanding performance from 'Wacho' were able to withstand the Northern attack and keep their net empty.

As luck would have it, the victory came from the boots of Alexis, off an assist from Fernando Beltran. Vega cut towards the center and from outside the box booted the ball towards goal. It didn’t seem to have much on it but it was slightly deflected, just enough to slip past Andrada. A lucky shot.

Right??? WRONG!!!

Hard work, drilling, pushing, finishing. Hour after hour on the practice pitch. Repetition after repetition, Paunović has begun constructing a new platform for the Red and White lads, one based on work ethic. Nothing that happened Saturday was chance. It is true, the game could have gone either way, anyone could see it. But the guys who did their homework best, ultimately came away with the win. The ones who worked for it the hardest.

If hard work is luck, then I will take hard work anytime.