she didnât. Instead, cool as a cucumber, she back-heeled the ball into my path.
I thought about placing the ball either side of the Rangers goalie but then I made up my mind to blast it. I caught it perfectly and it flew into the net like a rocket.
2-2!
âYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!â
I shouted.
Once we had regrouped, Ian bellowed out at us to let us know we had just five minutes left to play.
âFive minutes to grab victory from defeat! COME ON, REDS!â screamed Wendy.
âCome on, poppet!â added my mum.
I ignored her. Instead I had to chase back after the Rangers captain, Michael, who was making a dangerous run. I caught him just outside our box and I managed to nick the ball from his feet. I turned with it and played it down the wing to Lily.
Once again she set off, twisting left and right and making her defender dizzy. Once sheâd teased him enough she pushed the ball past him and accelerated like a sports car. She was heading for the touchline and I was certain sheâd kicked the ball too far. There was no way she was going to catch it. But then Lily did something absolutely amazing. She kept the ball in play. Then sheturned to see a defender in front of her. He was huge and he was almost growling as he ran towards her.
Calmly, she put the ball through his legs, ran around him and then switched inside. This gave her a much better angle to shoot at the goal. I thought sheâd go with her left foot but she didnât. Instead she curled it with the outside of her right foot.
The ball sailed in a wide arc and then turned at the last minute like a missile. The Rangers goalie tried his best to get to it but he couldnât. The ball pinged off the far post and fell into the net.
3-2!
Our entire team ran after Lily, whooping and cheering as she celebrated by diving to the ground with her arms out wide. She slid through mud and grass, getting filthy dirty, but I donât think she cared. It was an amazing goal.
One by one we did the same celebration. We hadnât planned it though â everyone was just copying Lily. And the camera guy was filming every minute of it, especially with Lily and the rest of the girls. By the time the final whistle blew we were all covered in mud and as happy as weâd ever been.
Weâd just won our first game of the season and it felt great! After missing chances in our first games, today we were bang on target â hitting the back of the net three times! Now we were ready to step up and win our next game too. And then who knew where weâd be â cup winners, even the league! All I knew was that the other teams needed to watch out. The Reds were on the up!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bali Rai thinks he is a very lucky man. He gets to write all day if he wants to, or to go into schools to speak to his readers about what they think of his books. He loves films, music, reading, seeing friends and watching his beloved Liverpool FC.
Bali played for his school team as a defender and loved it. He has been a lifelong football fan since he began watching
Match of the Day at the
age of four with his dad. He enjoys talking and arguing about Liverpool FC and would like to be Rafa Benitezâs or Steven Gerrardâs personal servant, but if this does not happen he is happy to carry on writing for his thousands of fans.
Bali was very honoured that his short novel
Dream On
(about a young footballer) was chosen for the first Booked-Up list and was made available to every Year 7 school child.
Baliâs books are now in ten languages and he also gets to travel all over the world to meet his readers. He hopes that he can encourage anyone to have a go at writing and to find a love of reading. He has won lots of book awards and really enjoys winning the ones that are voted for by the real readers â you!
Bali lives in his home city of Leicester. He has a lovely new wife and a football-crazy daughter.
Also by Bali Rai:
SOCCER
I thought about placing the ball either side of the Rangers goalie but then I made up my mind to blast it. I caught it perfectly and it flew into the net like a rocket.
2-2!
âYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!â
I shouted.
Once we had regrouped, Ian bellowed out at us to let us know we had just five minutes left to play.
âFive minutes to grab victory from defeat! COME ON, REDS!â screamed Wendy.
âCome on, poppet!â added my mum.
I ignored her. Instead I had to chase back after the Rangers captain, Michael, who was making a dangerous run. I caught him just outside our box and I managed to nick the ball from his feet. I turned with it and played it down the wing to Lily.
Once again she set off, twisting left and right and making her defender dizzy. Once sheâd teased him enough she pushed the ball past him and accelerated like a sports car. She was heading for the touchline and I was certain sheâd kicked the ball too far. There was no way she was going to catch it. But then Lily did something absolutely amazing. She kept the ball in play. Then sheturned to see a defender in front of her. He was huge and he was almost growling as he ran towards her.
Calmly, she put the ball through his legs, ran around him and then switched inside. This gave her a much better angle to shoot at the goal. I thought sheâd go with her left foot but she didnât. Instead she curled it with the outside of her right foot.
The ball sailed in a wide arc and then turned at the last minute like a missile. The Rangers goalie tried his best to get to it but he couldnât. The ball pinged off the far post and fell into the net.
3-2!
Our entire team ran after Lily, whooping and cheering as she celebrated by diving to the ground with her arms out wide. She slid through mud and grass, getting filthy dirty, but I donât think she cared. It was an amazing goal.
One by one we did the same celebration. We hadnât planned it though â everyone was just copying Lily. And the camera guy was filming every minute of it, especially with Lily and the rest of the girls. By the time the final whistle blew we were all covered in mud and as happy as weâd ever been.
Weâd just won our first game of the season and it felt great! After missing chances in our first games, today we were bang on target â hitting the back of the net three times! Now we were ready to step up and win our next game too. And then who knew where weâd be â cup winners, even the league! All I knew was that the other teams needed to watch out. The Reds were on the up!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bali Rai thinks he is a very lucky man. He gets to write all day if he wants to, or to go into schools to speak to his readers about what they think of his books. He loves films, music, reading, seeing friends and watching his beloved Liverpool FC.
Bali played for his school team as a defender and loved it. He has been a lifelong football fan since he began watching
Match of the Day at the
age of four with his dad. He enjoys talking and arguing about Liverpool FC and would like to be Rafa Benitezâs or Steven Gerrardâs personal servant, but if this does not happen he is happy to carry on writing for his thousands of fans.
Bali was very honoured that his short novel
Dream On
(about a young footballer) was chosen for the first Booked-Up list and was made available to every Year 7 school child.
Baliâs books are now in ten languages and he also gets to travel all over the world to meet his readers. He hopes that he can encourage anyone to have a go at writing and to find a love of reading. He has won lots of book awards and really enjoys winning the ones that are voted for by the real readers â you!
Bali lives in his home city of Leicester. He has a lovely new wife and a football-crazy daughter.
Also by Bali Rai:
SOCCER
Similar Books
