They headed toward a dream and stopped halfway. There was a mountain. There was an electric shock or a lack of fuel. Nobody knows yet to explain, exactly, what made the airplane of the Brazilian football Chapecoense Team hit the mountains and cut the trajectory of young dreamers.The plane left Santa Cruz de La Sierra, Bolivia, on Monday night headed to Medellín, Colombia. The pilot lost communication with control tower around 09:33pm (local time) and probably fell at 10:15pm (local time). The team would play the first match against Atletico Nacional for the final of the South American Cup.
The aircraft, produced by British Aerospace, belonged to Lamia Airline with Bolivian registration. With a capacity for 95 passengers, the plane carried 77: among them 22 players of Chapecoense, technical commission, 21 journalists and 9 crew.
The Brazilian world disaster
The tragedy shocked not only Brazil but also the whole world. Messages of support for families and friends came via social networks of various clubs as well as public personalities, including the newest President of the USA, Donald Trump. Great clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Arsenal also sent their condolences to Chapecoense and made a minute of silence in their training. In the Liverpool game against Leeds, by England League, the fans sang "YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE", famous singer of the Reds, while the players honored the victims.The searchers, that began at dawn on Tuesday, have already been ended.
Of the 77 passengers, 71 died and 6 survived. They were reborn. Among them are three team players, one journalist and two crew members. The bodies are expected to arrive in Brazil by friday.
For the up and away
The Chapecoense team had been doing an excellent championship and had achieved something unheard of in its history: to reach the final of the South American Cup.
A small and low-income team, managed to reach the serie A on Brazil Championship League in 2014 and since then, they have not stopped growing, winning fans and admirers. A very simpathic team, young and smiling was living a dream. Among them was Cleber Santana an experienced former Atletic Madrid who was an example for the others boys.There was a time when Brazil did not stop like yesterday.
Every person on the streets showed a sign of mourning and support for tragedy. The newspapers on each television channel did their tribute and did not hide their tears in the face of sadness.
The silence true
Until they find an absolute truth about the accident, the voices will not shut up. But the very fact is that, regardless of the truth, nothing else can be done. Could it have been avoided? What could have been different? Unanswered questions will always be in the air and, perhaps, will be forgotten. What will never be forgotten will be the smiles of those boys who played for love and radiated joy. Never will be forgotten the written and spoken words of each journalist who was there, reporting closely the step of the Chapecoense team's success.
The world stopped by the green of Chapecó. For a day we were all human with no differences. Atletico National, in an beautiful gesture, asked Conmebol to give the Sul American title to Chapecoense Team. Also, all the brazilians teams are reunited to help Chapecoense club not to close the doors.
Never will be forgotten
If for people this was another touching tragedy, for us lovers of football and journalism, it was as if we had lost someone from our families. The worst tragedy of brazilian football history showed us, unfortunatelly, how life is fragile and how we must live as well as we can. For the Chapecoense Champions, you will never be forgotten. For us, life must go on.