"I know we got crushed by China in this game. Yes, crushed. I won't shy away from saying it: China crushed us."
"But a man with pride won't beg for mercy, even when he's being crushed."
"Like I've always said, we'd rather die on our feet than live on our knees."
"You're all fine sons of the Philippines, the best men chosen from among its 170 million people."
"You can lose the game, but you must never bring shame on the Philippines!"
"So when you take the court in the second half, fight with everything you've got!"
"Fight for every possession, fight for every ball. Even if we lose, make them see our fighting spirit. Make the whole world see it."
Reyes waved his fists, rallying the players.
Foam flew from his mouth as he spoke himself hoarse, his face flushed and his neck taut.
He had great confidence in his speeches. They seemed almost magical.
In the past, no matter what the team was up against, whenever he gave one of his speeches, the players would quickly find their courage again and reignite their fighting spirit.
But this time, things didn't go as he'd expected. After speaking for a while, he looked over at the players.
They were still hanging their heads, one and all.
They still looked like wilted eggplants.
It left him feeling a little desperate himself.
This time, even his speech wasn't working.
As someone skilled at public speaking, Reyes understood one thing very well: no matter how stirring a speech was, it couldn't compare to the hard truth.
In the past, he'd often used his stirring speeches to help the players forget the truth for a little while and find their courage.
But this time, none of it worked, because the truth had hit