it back to Rob. TJ was sprinting down the right wing, but Rob twisted to his left and fed the ball to Tommy, who was running past him at top speed. Tommy moved forward, and he was about to pass out to TJ when he heard Rob’s voice again. ‘Inside! I’m with you.’
Tommy slipped the ball to Rob, who instantly chipped it over a defender’s head into the path of Tulsi, who was waiting in her usual position, right on the edge of the penalty area. She saw TJ waving his arms, wide on the right. There were two defenders ahead of her, so she played the ball out to him. TJ took one touch, and then pulled the ball back across the penalty area to where Tommy was waiting to slot it into the net.
The Parkview players celebrated as if they had won the match. TJ had laid on the pass, and Tommy had scored the goal, but they all knew that it was Rob who had made the difference. Swinburne launched a fierce attack from the kick off, but somehow Parkview held out until the final whistle.
The score was 2–2. Now they faced extra time. And maybe penalties.
C HAPTER 14
‘WELL DONE, PARKVIEW,’ said Miss Berry as the tired players gathered on the touchline. ‘I think we need to make some changes for extra time. Tommy, that was a great goal, but you look shattered. Leila, do you think you can do his job.’
‘Of course she can,’ said Jamie, and Leila grinned.
‘Then I think we should put Rafi on for Rodrigo,’ Miss Berry continued. ‘You’ve had to do a lot of running too, Rodrigo, and you’ve played in that position before, haven’t you, Rafi?’
Rafi nodded. ‘How about you, Rob?’ Miss Berry asked. ‘Do you need a break?’
‘I am a bit tired . . .’ Rob began, but TJ interrupted him.
‘You can’t take Rob off,’ he exclaimed. ‘We’d still be losing if it wasn’t for him.’
All the others agreed. ‘If you keep making passes like that, we’ll beat them for sure,’ said Tulsi.
Miss Berry still looked doubtful. ‘What would Mr Wood have done?’ she said. Then she decided. ‘OK then, Rob. You stay on. Get ready, everyone.’
Extra time was like a battle. Neither team could get on top, and neither goalkeeper had to make a save. Both teams were so worried about giving a goal away that neither team dared to send many players forward to attack. It was no surprise when the final whistle blew and the referee told them they were going to decide the match on penalties.
‘Only the players who were on the pitch at the end of the game will take part,’ he said. ‘All six outfield players will take a penalty each.’
‘I’ll go last,’ Rob said. ‘I haven’t really practised penalties.’
‘OK,’ said Tulsi. ‘I’ll go first. I take them for Canby Girls.’
Leroy took the first penalty for Swinburne. Jamie got his fingers to it, but he couldn’t prevent Leroy from scoring. Then Tulsi stepped up. She shot hard and low, but the ball flashed past the post. ‘Don’t worry,’ said Jamie, as she hung her head. ‘I’m bound to stop one of them.’
But for the next three rounds nobody missed. TJ, Rafi and Danny all scored for Parkview, and Jamie had no chance with any of the Swinburne penalties. Then the bandy-legged Swinburne captain stepped up with the score 6–5 to Swinburne. TJ could see that he was nervous. He looked to Jamie’s left as he ran up to strike the ball, but Jamie wasn’t fooled. He dived to his right and made an easy save as the Parkview team celebrated. Leila and Rob looked at each other. Neither of them could afford to miss, and now it was Leila’s turn. Jamie gave her a thumbs-up. She placed the ball, took three steps back, then smashed the ball confidently into the net.
Six–six.
‘I wish I hadn’t said I’d go last,’ Rob said to TJ. ‘I was hoping we would have won by now. This is worse than going first. If Swinburne score now, then I’m going to have to score to keep us in the match.’
‘Do what you did in the game,’ TJ replied. ‘There’s the keeper,
Tommy slipped the ball to Rob, who instantly chipped it over a defender’s head into the path of Tulsi, who was waiting in her usual position, right on the edge of the penalty area. She saw TJ waving his arms, wide on the right. There were two defenders ahead of her, so she played the ball out to him. TJ took one touch, and then pulled the ball back across the penalty area to where Tommy was waiting to slot it into the net.
The Parkview players celebrated as if they had won the match. TJ had laid on the pass, and Tommy had scored the goal, but they all knew that it was Rob who had made the difference. Swinburne launched a fierce attack from the kick off, but somehow Parkview held out until the final whistle.
The score was 2–2. Now they faced extra time. And maybe penalties.
C HAPTER 14
‘WELL DONE, PARKVIEW,’ said Miss Berry as the tired players gathered on the touchline. ‘I think we need to make some changes for extra time. Tommy, that was a great goal, but you look shattered. Leila, do you think you can do his job.’
‘Of course she can,’ said Jamie, and Leila grinned.
‘Then I think we should put Rafi on for Rodrigo,’ Miss Berry continued. ‘You’ve had to do a lot of running too, Rodrigo, and you’ve played in that position before, haven’t you, Rafi?’
Rafi nodded. ‘How about you, Rob?’ Miss Berry asked. ‘Do you need a break?’
‘I am a bit tired . . .’ Rob began, but TJ interrupted him.
‘You can’t take Rob off,’ he exclaimed. ‘We’d still be losing if it wasn’t for him.’
All the others agreed. ‘If you keep making passes like that, we’ll beat them for sure,’ said Tulsi.
Miss Berry still looked doubtful. ‘What would Mr Wood have done?’ she said. Then she decided. ‘OK then, Rob. You stay on. Get ready, everyone.’
Extra time was like a battle. Neither team could get on top, and neither goalkeeper had to make a save. Both teams were so worried about giving a goal away that neither team dared to send many players forward to attack. It was no surprise when the final whistle blew and the referee told them they were going to decide the match on penalties.
‘Only the players who were on the pitch at the end of the game will take part,’ he said. ‘All six outfield players will take a penalty each.’
‘I’ll go last,’ Rob said. ‘I haven’t really practised penalties.’
‘OK,’ said Tulsi. ‘I’ll go first. I take them for Canby Girls.’
Leroy took the first penalty for Swinburne. Jamie got his fingers to it, but he couldn’t prevent Leroy from scoring. Then Tulsi stepped up. She shot hard and low, but the ball flashed past the post. ‘Don’t worry,’ said Jamie, as she hung her head. ‘I’m bound to stop one of them.’
But for the next three rounds nobody missed. TJ, Rafi and Danny all scored for Parkview, and Jamie had no chance with any of the Swinburne penalties. Then the bandy-legged Swinburne captain stepped up with the score 6–5 to Swinburne. TJ could see that he was nervous. He looked to Jamie’s left as he ran up to strike the ball, but Jamie wasn’t fooled. He dived to his right and made an easy save as the Parkview team celebrated. Leila and Rob looked at each other. Neither of them could afford to miss, and now it was Leila’s turn. Jamie gave her a thumbs-up. She placed the ball, took three steps back, then smashed the ball confidently into the net.
Six–six.
‘I wish I hadn’t said I’d go last,’ Rob said to TJ. ‘I was hoping we would have won by now. This is worse than going first. If Swinburne score now, then I’m going to have to score to keep us in the match.’
‘Do what you did in the game,’ TJ replied. ‘There’s the keeper,
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