Until the last breath... we are San Lorenzo

It is the night before. A cuervo's friend's facebook status currently reads: "Please open Bidegain [the Nuevo Gasómetro] now! If they open it we will fill the terraces to get through the night of the Azulgrana insomnia". I will be getting up early tomorrow (this?) morning to participate in the San Lorenzo pilgrimage to the virgin of Lujan and returning by noon. Hardly the longest journey to get to the Nuevo Gasómetro - the Peña de Salta are travelling over 1600 km or 20-plus hours to be in the stadium, which has been sold out completely. Over 39 000 anticipated local entrances. No matter the result, at the final whistle there will be a large collective gasp of air.

Sold out: No relegation or promotion can control such passion.

Rather than write my own last minute thoughts, I would rather translate some of the words of two of the thousands of San Lorenzo hinchas struggling to express themselves. Unfortunately I don't have too much time or energy at the moment, but I hope that these small excerpts illuminate the world in which my own emotions have been enveloped within.

One of the most famous hinchas of San Lorenzo is Viggo Mortenson. And by hincha, I do mean one of the hundreds of thousands who will attentively and emotionally invested in tomorrow's match. After loudly cheering the end of the San Lorenzo - Newel's match several weeks ago, Viggo was approached by Washington airport security and told to calm down. His passion leads him to contribute to a regular column, drawing widely from the storied history of the club. In his latest exchange, Viggo states his San Lorenzo:

El partido contra San Martín será emocionante, pase lo que pase, sea o no el último del torneo. Veremos si podemos ganar y después tener al menos la suerte de jugar dos partidos para quedarnos en primera. Como decís, Fabián, esperamos que nuestros hermanos y hermanas del CASLA procuren portarse dignamente en nuestra casa, canten lo que canten o digan lo que digan los del otro equipo. Tampoco hace falta recordarles a nuestros directivos, jugadores o al equipo técnico que vamos mal. Lo sabemos todos de sobra. Mi sincera esperanza es que alentemos y juguemos hasta el último suspiro como lo que somos: los más guapos del fútbol argentino.

The match against San Martín will be emotional whatever happens. Our only chance is if we win. Then with some luck there will be two more matches to see if we can stay in the Primera. As you say Fabián [Viggo's interlocutor], we hope that our brothers and sisters in CASLA carry themselves in our house with dignity, no matter what the other club may sing or say. Nor that our leaders, players or team forget that we are in a difficult time. We all know it. It is my sincere hope that through our cheers and play and till our last breath we truly show who we really are: the most beautiful in Argentine football.

Now more than ever, I am an hincha of El Ciclón.

Pablo Jelovina wrote a letter to the players, which has since been posted on the San Lorenzo club website. In his last paragraph he writes:

Y así, cuando escuches el alarido salvaje de las tribunas, vas a poder entender que ese grito de guerra lo tenés en las entrañas. Que sale de tu más profunda voracidad como una bandada de cuervos dispuesta a sacarle los ojos al destino preanunciado. Porque vos, jugador de San Lorenzo, vas a sentir que por tu sangre corre nuestra hombría, nuestra ira, cada una de las esperanzas que, juntas, suman una realidad. Porque vos, hombre hecho ciclón, podés arrasar con cualquier tristeza, si te abrazás a nuestras lágrimas de ilusión

And when you hear the savage roar of the terraces you will understand in your guts this battle cry. Enter with the profound ferocity of a murder of crows determined to gouge the eyes of their foretold victim. You are a San Lorenzo player: you will feel running through your blood our manhood, our rage, every one of our hopes that together add up to a reality. You are a man made by the Ciclón. If you embrace our tears of hope you will be able to defeat any and every sadness.

One hincha, though I suspect that there are many more, has etched onto their body their life long sentiment and commitment to San Lorezno:

I swear that in difficult times, I will always be with you.

So I wait for the gates of the Bidegain to swing open so that I can be beside and with all those who will be present with their hopes and passion.

Hasta el ultimo suspiro con todos nuestros lágrimas de ilusión somos San Lorenzo. ¡El Ciclón! ¡El Ciclón! ¡El Ciclón!