HAJDUK NOT GIVING UP THEIR SPOT AT THE TOP
DINAMO 1-5 HAJDUK J. ELEŽ, T. TOPIĆ, M. LJUBIČIĆ, T. KIŠ x2
Bendiš entered the field as the final whistle blew, arms spread wide, as the rain poured down over his head. This was the ultimate triumph, and Dinamo knew it. They had been dragged here, kicking and screaming, and they knew that they didn't have a chance, but, when Scoria was downright rude to a legend in Croatian management, Bendiš responded to the abuse by simply stating "I will end you."
And he kept his promise, immediately, as he gave the capital club hope by giving them the lead in the first half. The more you look at the match tapes, the more it looks like Hajduk were purposely holding off in the first leg, when Dinamo scored the opening goal. They controlled the play, they dominated, and they never attacked, almost as if they were toying with Zagreb's club.
And then, in the 2nd half, it was gone. In the blink of an eye, Admir Lotinac rushed down the right, and crossed to Josip Elež, who scored in the 46th minute. Topić scored, not 10 minutes later, before it looked like Mario Ljubičić completed the rout in the 75th minute. 3-1 was more than plenty away from home, but Bendiš wanted blood, and he got it.
Kiš took 84 minutes to score his first goal. But he got it. After assisting Ljubičić ten minutes earlier, he got his goal, and then, just before the final whistle, he got the 2nd, prompting Župarić to complain for the legitimate goal and get sent off in the 92nd.
There was no post-match press conference. Scoria snubbed the media, Mamić held no comment, and there were no meaningful questions to ask Bendiš.
Well... except for the score next week.
HAJDUK PASS BY BARCELONA - OM AWAIT AT OLIMPICO UEFA CL SEMINFINAL
BARCELONA 2-2 HAJDUK
HAJDUK 1-1 BARCELONA
Olympique de Marseille defeated Manchester City, as their frontman, Julian Schneider, 24, broke the Champions League goalscoring record that eluded Kiš for many years, scoring three against the Premier League club, to bring his tally to 15.
But it didn't change the fact that Barcelona could not get past Hajduk, and, while they did score first, Lionel Messi, who has only lost one golden ball in the last 10 years, could not score against the double Champions League winners.
That being said, it is the first time that the back-to-back winners have appeared in the final since Bayern München did the three-peat in 1974-76.
MEANWHILE... IN MARSEILLE
It had been a nice evening, Bendiš had gone to the match the next day, in Marseille, to witness first hand who his opponent would be. Marseille played a spectacular match, and Schneider's hat-trick was well deserved. It was a good result for Bendiš. He did not want to play against first Barcelona and then City... THAT was not on his to-do list. But he enjoyed himself. The entire day had been fun, he had, naturally, spent it with Iva before heading up to the chairman's box at Vélodrôme, and there were few nicer chairmen than Vincent Labrune.
They were just leaving the stadium, Bendiš had driven there, and they wanted to visit Monaco before heading back to Split. Bendiš had an apartment there, on Le Rocher, just across the Royal Palace, where there was a café that he enjoyed going to: that of an old friend.
Sweeping around the harbor, Bendiš made his way up the hill on his way out of Marseille; Iva, sleeping, in the passenger's seat. It was a quiet night by the time they started leaving, at around 2, 3. Most honest people had left the streets, because Marseille still had to work in the morning, albeit barely. He calmly waited at a red light... tapping his fingers on the leather steering wheel. The radio was off, and you could hear the cicada's on the outside, and see the stars in the sky through the open roof of the soft-top Fiat. A siren wailed in the distance.
The light turned green, and Bendiš moved forward. He heard something coming, and glanced to the right for only a moment before the grille of an armored car crashed through his passenger door. The car was lifted up into the air, and rolled down the hill. It crashed to the ground halfway down the block, and continued rolling, banging in the ceiling with every turn. A lamp post finally stopped the car, if it could still be called that.
Bendiš was bleeding in the driver's seat, unconscious. The passenger's side of the car was gone; a small fire had started in the back. The armored truck rolled on, unperturbed, as the siren grew louder.
How did I know that would happen?
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2014-03-12 07:11#164745 Louis O. :
How did I know that would happen?
Like, from the beginning of the post to the end, or for longer? Because that's some powers of deduction you've got there, especially since I hadn't even thought about it until this morning...
#BendisStrong!! Hopefully this is not the end. Love the detail and effort you have put into this.
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BENDIŠ IN CRITICAL CONDITION AS HAJDUK, FRANCE LEFT REELING
The much loved figure, both in France and in Croatia, is struggling for his life, after his car was crushed by an escaping armored car in a bank robbery gone so, so wrong.
Found late last night by the police, Bendiš was pulled from the burning wreckage that was his traditional Fiat 500. He was thought to be driving on his way home from Marseille, and had gone through a green light, only to be smashed into by an escaping armored car from the Credit Suisse heist. The perpetrators have yet to be identified, in what may be the perfect crime.
His car was found at the foot of La Guarde, near the old port, a burning heap of metal. Bendiš, and his girlfriend were pulled out of the burning car by the captain of a small fishing boat, who had heard the massive crash, and the patron of a nearby café, woken also to the noise. As more people found their way to the street, a slow realization occurred that the bloodied body that was being dragged from the burning wreckage was indeed, the manager of the national team of France.
An ambulance arrived at the scene, and carried the couple off to the nearest hospital. Bendiš was admitted into the hospital's critical care unit, as several doctors who were called in at that moment, began getting to work. Shortly after they had arrived though, the doctors, some of the finest doctors in the world, had given up on Iva. Her wounds were too much, and the most they could do was make her comfortable, as she slowly stopped breathing, her lungs bruised, her long legs crushed under the weight of the car. A single tear rolled down her beautiful, unconscious face, before her last breath escaped.
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FRANCE, HAJDUK FIGHT FOR THEIR HERO
The greatest doctors in the world flew into Marseille. With Bendiš slipping in and out of consciousness since the incident yesterday. What was announced yesterday, though, on the front page of both the national papers in France and in Croatia, was that Bendiš was conscious for much longer than previously thought. In fact, what horrified everyone was that he held on for long enough to try to bring Iva from the car, long enough to realize that he couldn't. As the fire started spreading to the backseat, he passed from consciousness; it was the first time in his life that his strength had abandoned him.
Doctors said that there was only a small chance that Bendiš would survive the accident. He was strong, and his injuries were simply too much. Only an extraordinary circumstance could save him.
Bendiš's best friend had flown as soon as he had heard. He had arrived in the morning, and as soon as he arrived, he whispered to his ever present assistant, who, as quickly as he came, had left.
His best friend, sat down, and, when the doctors had left the room, sobbed quietly.
MARSEILLE BEAT ANDRIJAŠEVIĆ, AS BOTH TEAMS CELEBRATE IN SILENCE
OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE 4-3 [A.E.T] HAJDUK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL - OLIMPICO, ROME
A AYEW x2, D HENEN, G NECHIFOR - T KIŠ, P BAŠIĆ, T TOPIĆ
Marseille vs. Hajduk was always going to be an interesting affair. Nearly the entire Marseille team was closely associated with Bendiš for the French National team, and well... Hajduk was his. But it wasn't a rivalry. Lenny Nangis, who Bendiš has moved from the U21s and turned into a hero for France held his cool in the tunnel, before coming over to the Hajduk bench and hugging Tomislav Kiš and Teo Pešić, along with Franck Tabanou, who, despite being 32, was never more thankful than when he won the European Championship under the Croatia boss.
And then, in front of 70 000 people, Laurent Blanc surprised Rome by leading Marseille into singing the Croatian National anthem loudest of all. It was as touching as it was deafening, as the two teams locked shoulders and inspired one of the most beautiful, and most tragic moments of football.
600 kilometers away, a team of five doctors operated on Bendiš's failing heart.
There were seven goals that evening. Hajduk scored the opener, and Pero Bašić, in the fifteenth minute refused to celebrate one of the greatest moments of his career. Later, André Ayew followed suit, as he scored the equalizer in the 45th minute. Then, with no one stopping him, Tomi Kiš scored a magical goal just after the hour. Stijepan Andrijašević, standing on the touchline, did nothing, and neither did Tomislav Kiš.
It was a somber occasion. But Hajduk looked to have won it, against every odd in the book. It wasn't to be though. The Romainan frontman an outrageous goal, surely one of the best this year, in the 94th minute, to force extra time.
Hajduk was never fit enough to hold through, and despite equalizing for 3-3 in the 111th, Ayew scored again, to bring OM their 3rd Champions League title, and their 2nd within 5 years. When the medals were presented, though, one was kept for Bendiš, and when Hajduk were presented their medals, the crowd in Rome absolutely roared.
It was never going to be easy, but, at that point, it was simply too much. The most they could do was to go into the tunnel, before breaking down in tears. There was no press conference... because there simply wasn't anything to say.
Amazing writing...I genuinely want to cry right now, I'm so touched.
It seems as though that elusive third trophy is afraid of coming to Croatia. It will happen one day though. Mark my words.
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You should try to publish this story as an e reader or something like it.
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Brilliant updates, brilliant and yet beautifully tragic. You, Timmy Bendiš, are just spectacular. Long live this story.
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I wouldn't expect Laurent Blanc to like Croatia what with Slaven Bilic's antics
#1 FRANCE SIMPLY TOO GOOD FOR #2 BRAZIL
FRANCE 5-3 BRAZIL CONFED CUP 2019 GROUP B - QATAR
In one of the most thrilling, highest ranked matches ever, France waited until the last ten minutes to defeat Brazil in front of nearly 70 000 people. But the 70 000, who had hoped to see Bendiš running up and down the touchline were, again, disappointed, as Mauro Tassotti was there instead, sitting next to Thierry Henry.
Guillerme Vincent, Manchester City's defender, who had only been capped twice so far, scored in the 13th minute for France to take the lead against the South American champions. It was a simple goal, taken off a corner kick, but a goal is a goal, especially against Brazil.
Brazil though, didn't give up. With both teams playing simple, attacking football, it was bound to be a spectacle. Neymar opened Brazil's account and scored the equalizer on the half hour, before France took the lead again, this time, with talisman, Yassine Benzia scoring his first just five minutes later. There were no more goals that half, although Benzia went close again, as he fired a shot just off the post.
Ademilson, still playing for São Paolo after all these years, got the equalizer ten minutes into the 2nd half, after an outrageous dribble by Manchester United's star, Neymar. Then France took the lead again, before being equalized yet again, within 10 minutes.
Time was running out though... the whole back-and-forth equalize, lead shenanigans had ended Bendiš's team before, specifically in the CL Final. But France was a different beast. When Yassine Benzia took the lead for the 4th time, in the 82nd, Brazil didn't come back. Rather, it was Lenny Nangis who scored in the place of Brazil, ending the match on the final whistle with the 5-3 goal.
It was, without a doubt, one of the greatest matches in the history of the Confederation Cup, and Qatar will be thrilled to have played the host to it.
MEANWHILE... IN MARSEILLE
After a nightmare 12 hour surgery, Bendiš was still alive. He was unconscious, but, with one of the doctors sleeping in the corner of the operating room, there was no denying that he was, indeed, still alive. They nearly failed though. Thrice, his heart stopped beating, there simply wasn't enough blood, and the doctors didn't dare give him more. It was simply too dangerous. On three times, they revived it, crushed beneath his ribcage, which they had to repair. Had it been a different man, there wouldn't be a chance. But Bendiš trained every single day. He ran miles, his heart was young, and strong. And he wanted to come back. Bendiš's best friend was asleep in the gallery, exhausted, when a very familiar face walked in. Bendiš was unconscious on the operating table, injured, but finally... after several days of agony, stable.
Bendiš's best friend did come to though, when she tapped him on the shoulder. Exhausted, it took him a second to realize who had woken him, and another second to believe it, but he did... he blinked twice, "Where have you been? All this time, it's been so long... where have you been?"
You have a talent for this, well done. The story is awesome.
You are reading "[FM13]The Adriatic Adventure [Hajduk Split]".
