Go for the Goal! by Fred Bowen

Author:Fred Bowen [Bowen, Fred]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781561457779
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Published: 2012-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Tweeeeeet! The referee’s whistle blew, ending the first half. Josh glanced at the scoreboard even though he knew the score of the game.

The United was losing again, 2–0.

The players drank their water in silence. They sat near a corner of the pitch where the grass was still thick and green. Aidan leaned toward Josh and whispered, “Coach doesn’t look very happy.”

“I don’t blame her,” Josh said without looking up. “We stunk in the first half.”

Coach Hodges stared down at her clipboard as if she was stalling for time, trying to control her temper. Finally she stepped forward and spoke to the team in a firm voice. “We’ll start the second half with the same starting lineup.” Her finger jabbed the air and her voice got louder. “But I am telling the starters right now, you have ten minutes—ten minutes—to make something happen. Or I’ll find some other players who will.”

She paced back and forth, then turned and barked out more instructions to the team. “One or two touches. Pass the ball. Don’t dribble so much. Don’t try to do it all yourself. Trust your teammates. Share the ball. Work together. We practiced being a team, now play like one.” She flashed the fingers on her left hand twice. “Remember, you have ten minutes.”

The United walked back onto the pitch. Their heads were still down. Evan glanced at Josh. “Looks like your team-building ideas aren’t working.”

Josh turned and looked right at him. “The exercises can’t make you play like a team. We have to do that.”

For the first few minutes of the second half, the United continued their sloppy play with the ball stuck around midfield. Out of the corner of his eye, Josh could see the United reserves jogging along the sidelines, warming up.

Coach Hodges wasn’t kidding when she said ten minutes, Josh thought.

He got the ball on the wing and quickly sized up the situation. He was tempted to dribble the ball as far as he could, but remembered Coach’s instructions. “Trust your teammates. Don’t try to do it all yourself.” So he angled the ball to Evan.

Josh had another thought: I wonder if he’ll ever pass it back to me.

As if he could read Josh’s mind, Evan slipped around a Magic defender and fired a pass back to Josh, who was racing up the wing.

Josh controlled the ball with a quick touch, then skidded a low, hard centering pass back to Evan, now in perfect scoring position. With one swift kick, Evan redirected the ball right into the net.

Goal! The score was 2–1. The United were back in the game.

“Perfect give and go!” Josh shouted as the team celebrated around Evan.

“Great centering pass!” Evan cheered, pointing at Josh.

As the players took their positions, Josh checked the stadium clock. Nine minutes, he thought. Just in time!

The United continued to control play in the second half with short, crisp passes. Just as Coach had instructed, one or two touches and the ball would be on its way to another United player.

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