"Morocco," Maya said. She pushed her glasses up her nose. "The Atlas Lions. They are a statistical anomaly."
"Why?" Alex asked from under the towel.
"They do not concede goals," Maya said. "They have played Belgium, Croatia, Spain, and Portugal. They have conceded one goal. And it was an own goal. No opposition player has scored against them."
Alex took the towel off his head.
"They are a wall," Alex said.
"They are a diamond," Maya corrected. "A compressed, hard diamond. Their defensive shape is perfect. Amrabat runs 13 kilometers. Hakimi is fast. Ziyech is technical. And Bono... the goalkeeper is statistically the best in the tournament."
"Diamonds are hard to break," Alex said.
"You do not break a diamond with force," Maya said. "You cut it. With precision."
A splash soaked them both.
"CANNONBALL!"
Alex wiped water from his face.
Mark was in the pool. He was wearing an inflatable rubber duck around his waist. He was also wearing an England hat.
