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Authors: Theo Walcott
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squirted into touch. Swinburne attacked from the throw-in , but Tommy chased after the striker and poked the ball across to Rodrigo as he was about to shoot.
Rodrigo passed to Rafi again, but once more Rafi was tackled. ‘More quick, Rafi!’ Rodrigo said, but it wasn’t that easy. The Swinburne team were all excellent tacklers, and the Parkview defenders found it almost impossible to get the ball to TJ and Tulsi. The game was no fun to play in, and TJ could see from the faces of the spectators that it was no fun to watch either. ‘They’re very good at defending,’ Mr Wood said at half time.
‘But they haven’t managed a single shot,’ Rob said. ‘Maybe we should push Rafi forward a bit.’
‘Just what I was thinking,’ Mr Wood replied. ‘And I’m going to bring Ariyan on for Tommy and Cameron for Leila. You’ve done well, you two, but you’ve had to do a lot of running.’
The second half continued just like the first. The Swinburne strikers managed a couple of shots, but Jamie saved them easily. ‘Go on, Rafi,’ he said, as he rolled the ball out to Rodrigo. ‘Get forward!’
Rodrigo looked up and saw TJ moving down the wing. For the first time in the game, Rodrigo’s marker had given him some space – enough space for him to push the ball forward a few metres and then hit a high pass across the field to TJ.
Tulsi was yelling for the ball on the edge of the penalty area. TJ hit his cross hard and low, but it never reached Tulsi. Rafi was racing forward and the ball hit him on the knee. The deflection carried it past the stranded goalkeeper and into the net. ‘What happened?’ asked Rafi, as the crowd cheered.
‘You scored,’ said TJ.
‘Did I? Rats! I didn’t even see it.’
Seconds later the ref blew his whistle, and Parkview had won their first match of the tournament.
But they’d only won it by luck.
C HAPTER 17
PARKVIEW’S SECOND GAME was against Belford School. They won it easily, with TJ and Jay scoring a goal each. Jamie didn’t have to make a single save. ‘Does that mean we’re through?’ TJ asked when the match was over.
‘I’m afraid not,’ said Marshall. ‘I’ve just been watching the other match in your group. Saint Joseph’s beat Swinburne two nil. They’re a good team.’
‘And they beat Belford two nil as well,’ Rob put in. ‘So that means you have to beat them to get into the quarterfinals. A draw isn’t good enough because they have a superior goal difference.’
‘You’re going to have to move the ball quicker,’ Mr Wood told them. ‘I know you’ve all been feeling nervous, but you’ve had two games to warm up now, so let’s think about the things we’ve been practising. If you can see a first-time pass, then go for it. And, Jamie, try and catch them out when you have the ball. See if you can roll it out fast, before they’re ready. OK, everyone, let’s go.’
TJ could feel the urgency in the air. If they lost this game then they would be out of the tournament, and TJ still felt as if the tournament hadn’t really started. He knew they’d all be disappointed if they didn’t get at least to the quarterfinals.
Saint Joseph’s kicked off and TJ knew at once that they were going to have to play far, far better than they had until now if they were going to beat them.
Their captain was a small midfielder called Mac, with hair that was even redder than Tommy’s. He dribbled past Rafi and rode a tackle from Rodrigo, then played the ball out to the left wing, where the winger had a clear run down the touchline. He crossed the ball and one of the Saint Joseph’s strikers volleyed it fiercely at Jamie’s goal. He dived to his right and the ball stuck to his hands as if he’d covered them with glue. He leaped to his feet and rolled the ball to Tommy, who flicked it instantly on to TJ. The Saint Joseph’s players were racing back, but TJ hit a low first-time pass right across the field to Rafi. TJ felt a surge of energy running through
Rodrigo passed to Rafi again, but once more Rafi was tackled. ‘More quick, Rafi!’ Rodrigo said, but it wasn’t that easy. The Swinburne team were all excellent tacklers, and the Parkview defenders found it almost impossible to get the ball to TJ and Tulsi. The game was no fun to play in, and TJ could see from the faces of the spectators that it was no fun to watch either. ‘They’re very good at defending,’ Mr Wood said at half time.
‘But they haven’t managed a single shot,’ Rob said. ‘Maybe we should push Rafi forward a bit.’
‘Just what I was thinking,’ Mr Wood replied. ‘And I’m going to bring Ariyan on for Tommy and Cameron for Leila. You’ve done well, you two, but you’ve had to do a lot of running.’
The second half continued just like the first. The Swinburne strikers managed a couple of shots, but Jamie saved them easily. ‘Go on, Rafi,’ he said, as he rolled the ball out to Rodrigo. ‘Get forward!’
Rodrigo looked up and saw TJ moving down the wing. For the first time in the game, Rodrigo’s marker had given him some space – enough space for him to push the ball forward a few metres and then hit a high pass across the field to TJ.
Tulsi was yelling for the ball on the edge of the penalty area. TJ hit his cross hard and low, but it never reached Tulsi. Rafi was racing forward and the ball hit him on the knee. The deflection carried it past the stranded goalkeeper and into the net. ‘What happened?’ asked Rafi, as the crowd cheered.
‘You scored,’ said TJ.
‘Did I? Rats! I didn’t even see it.’
Seconds later the ref blew his whistle, and Parkview had won their first match of the tournament.
But they’d only won it by luck.
C HAPTER 17
PARKVIEW’S SECOND GAME was against Belford School. They won it easily, with TJ and Jay scoring a goal each. Jamie didn’t have to make a single save. ‘Does that mean we’re through?’ TJ asked when the match was over.
‘I’m afraid not,’ said Marshall. ‘I’ve just been watching the other match in your group. Saint Joseph’s beat Swinburne two nil. They’re a good team.’
‘And they beat Belford two nil as well,’ Rob put in. ‘So that means you have to beat them to get into the quarterfinals. A draw isn’t good enough because they have a superior goal difference.’
‘You’re going to have to move the ball quicker,’ Mr Wood told them. ‘I know you’ve all been feeling nervous, but you’ve had two games to warm up now, so let’s think about the things we’ve been practising. If you can see a first-time pass, then go for it. And, Jamie, try and catch them out when you have the ball. See if you can roll it out fast, before they’re ready. OK, everyone, let’s go.’
TJ could feel the urgency in the air. If they lost this game then they would be out of the tournament, and TJ still felt as if the tournament hadn’t really started. He knew they’d all be disappointed if they didn’t get at least to the quarterfinals.
Saint Joseph’s kicked off and TJ knew at once that they were going to have to play far, far better than they had until now if they were going to beat them.
Their captain was a small midfielder called Mac, with hair that was even redder than Tommy’s. He dribbled past Rafi and rode a tackle from Rodrigo, then played the ball out to the left wing, where the winger had a clear run down the touchline. He crossed the ball and one of the Saint Joseph’s strikers volleyed it fiercely at Jamie’s goal. He dived to his right and the ball stuck to his hands as if he’d covered them with glue. He leaped to his feet and rolled the ball to Tommy, who flicked it instantly on to TJ. The Saint Joseph’s players were racing back, but TJ hit a low first-time pass right across the field to Rafi. TJ felt a surge of energy running through
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