The Comeback Challenge by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316094399
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

8

Mark stood up and dusted off his uniform. His leg was smarting where he had fallen on it. But he barely noticed the pain.

“Are you okay?” Coach Ryan called from the side-lines. Mark waved to him to show he was all right and jogged down the field to catch up with the action.

But he wasn’t okay. Something had happened to him the minute he saw Vince with the ball. As the throbbing in his leg faded, his blood seemed to boil throughout the rest of his body.

Mark was angrier than he had ever been in his life.

If he wants to play an “every man for himself” game, he thought, then so be it. I’ve tried to make this front line work, but I can’t do it alone. So I’ll play it Vince’s way from now on.

And with that he threw himself into the play with a savageness he’d never shown before. When the Scorpions had possession of the ball and were moving it toward the Tiger goal, he charged into every play like a wild animal. Twice he committed fouls that cost the Scorpions free kicks. Luckily neither of them went in for a goal.

When the Tigers were attacking the Scorpions’ goal, he didn’t wait for the defense to clear the ball to him. Instead, he launched himself into the center of the play, often crashing into his own teammates in his rush to get hold of the ball for himself.

In the final moments of the game, Mark threw an elbow at a Tiger wing right in front of the Scorpions’ goal. The ref caught the foul and called a penalty kick.

The Scorpions retreated the required ten yards outside the penalty area. Charlie Burns hopped from foot to foot, getting ready for the Tiger wing to take his best shot. A goal now would tie the game.

As Mark watched the ref place the ball on the penalty mark, he realized that this situation was his fault. If he had been playing his usual position, the game might be over now and the Scorpions walking off the field with another win under their belts.

Instead, he was holding his breath, waiting for the ref to blow his whistle, giving the Tiger wing the go-ahead.

Man, what a stupid move, Mark thought. What was I thinking, playing like that?

“Nice going, hotshot,” a voice behind him whispered mockingly.

Mark jerked around. Vince, his hands on his knees, was glaring at him.

All the fury Mark had felt earlier came rushing back to him. The ref’s whistle blew just as Mark was about to take a step toward Vince.

Mark’s eyes followed the ball as it shot toward the goal. Charlie Burns leapt up, arms outstretched — and deflected the ball up and over the net!

A moment later the clock ran out, and the Scorpions jogged off the field amid cheers from the stands.

But Mark didn’t feel like celebrating. His mind was a jumble of angry frustration. And when he caught a glimpse of his parents, arguing as they

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