Game-Day Jitters Read online

  “Be aggressive, but be smart,” Coach said. “When we have the ball, spread out. When they have the ball, cover them.”

  Ben stuck out his hand and Erin set hers on top. The rest of the teammates stacked theirs in the pile, too, and Ben said, “Three … two … one …”

  “Bobcats!” they yelled.

  As the huddle broke, Ben leaped into the air, kicking himself in the butt with both feet. Let’s get this thing started, he thought.

  He looked across the field and saw Loop staring back. Loop patted himself on the chest and pointed at Ben.

  Yes, the Falcons would be coming at them with full force.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Making Some Luck

  As he walked toward the goal, Ben tucked the goalie jersey into his shorts. It was baggy and long. He clapped his hands and said, “Let’s go,” but he wasn’t feeling confident.

  He could see his parents and Larry sitting in the bleachers with several other adults. Many of the kids from the teams who hadn’t made the play-offs were here, too. And the Rabbits were all on the other side of the field, watching with some of the Panthers. This crowd was far bigger than at any of the Bobcats’ previous games. More people to watch him mess up.

  Tune it out, Ben thought. Focus on stopping Loop and Alex. He took a deep breath and tried to relax.

  When the game began, Ben could tell that his coach had been right. The Falcons quickly moved the ball toward the Bobcats’ goal, with Loop and Alex controlling most of the action.

  When Erin finally knocked the ball out of bounds, Loop raced to the sideline for a corner kick.

  Ben raised his hands and let out his breath, ready to catch the ball or dive at it. Alex was crouched in front of the goal, and players from both teams were packed in tight.

  Ben glanced at Alex, who looked ready to spring into the air. Loop would be lofting the ball in front of him, hoping Alex could head it into the net.

  “Get up high,” Ben said, catching Erin’s attention.

  As Loop stepped forward to kick the ball, Alex drifted back. The ball was coming toward him. Erin and Mark leaped for it, too, but Alex got higher and met it with his forehead, thrusting it toward the corner of the goal.

  Ben dived and got a hand on it, but the ball spun to the side. Loop had sprinted toward the goal and reached the ball first. Without breaking stride, he pounded it at the goal. It flew on a line drive about a foot above the ground.

  Still on his knees, Ben caught the ball and rolled.

  “Great save,” said Jordan.

  Ben could hear shouts of approval from the bleachers, too.

  He leaped to his feet and stepped forward to punt the ball, but then he had a better thought. All of the Bobcats were still near this goal, so booting the ball way up the field would give it to one of the Falcons’ defensive players. Instead, Ben flung the ball toward Mark, who was running toward the sideline. Mark fielded the pass and sprinted ahead of all but the two Falcon defenders.

  “Breakaway!” Ben yelled, watching as Mark raced up the field.

  Loop and Alex and the others were in pursuit, but Mark dodged past one defender and headed for the other end of the field. He was fast, and he’d become a very good dribbler over the course of the season.

  Jordan had outrun most of the Falcons and was approaching the goal. Mark made one more dodge to swing past the last Falcon defender, then sent a crisp pass across the front of the goal. Jordan was there, and he skillfully knocked the ball past the goalie and into the net.

  “Unbelievable!” Ben yelled. They were less than a minute into the game, and the Bobcats already had the lead.

  Loop was standing near midfield with his mouth open, staring toward the Falcons’ goal. He stepped over to Alex and said something Ben couldn’t hear. Alex nodded.

  “How’s the ankle?” Ben called to Shayna.

  “A little sore,” she said. “I think I’ll be all right.”

  “That’s good.” Now that the Bobcats were in front, maybe Coach would take Ben out of the goalie position.

  But that didn’t happen. The next time the ball went out of bounds, Coach sent Omar onto the field to replace Shayna. She was limping more than before. Ben watched as she took a seat on the bench and pulled off her left shoe.

  A shout took Ben’s attention back to the field. Loop was racing down the sideline with the ball, and Alex was cutting across the middle. Omar seemed confused and was running toward Loop, leaving the front of the goal wide open.

  “Drop back!” Ben called. “Don’t abandon me.”

  Erin had come back from midfield and moved toward Alex. Omar hustled over, too. Ben knew that Loop and Alex always looked for each other first before passing to their other teammates.

  Mark had cut off Loop’s path and Jordan had him trapped. Loop had no choice but to pass the ball back to a different Falcon.

  Loop stood still for a second while Mark and Jordan started chasing the ball. But then he took off like a bolt of lightning, cutting behind the defenders. The ball went to Alex, who sliced it toward Loop. Loop fielded the ball at full speed and raced straight toward the goal.

  Ben crouched low, ready to dive at the ball when Loop shot. He took a few steps forward, hoping to force Loop to the side. But Loop kept running straight.

  “Where’s my help?” Ben called, never taking his eyes away from Loop.

  Alex had charged forward, too, and he was a step ahead of Erin and Omar. Loop passed the ball, and Alex shot.

  The ball was waist-high, zinging toward the goal. Ben dived, and the ball skidded off his hand and whacked him in the shoulder. It bounced toward Loop, near the corner of the goal. Ben leaped to his feet, closing off the side of the net.

  It was a tough angle to shoot from, but Loop was very skilled. He shot the ball hard, and it nicked the goalpost. Players scrambled around as the ball took a wild bounce.

  Jordan swooped in and kicked the ball hard, clearing it away from the goal. It went out of bounds near the corner of the field.

  “Lucky break!” Loop said, frowning at Ben. “That shot just missed.”

  Ben looked away. The Falcons had already put the ball in play with a throw-in.

  “Get out there!” Ben called to Omar and Erin. They’d stayed near the goal, leaving a few players open. The ball was crossed to Alex, who trapped it with his foot, stepped forward, and shot from twenty yards out.

  Ben easily caught the ball. This time he punted it, and it sailed in the air past midfield. Blue- and red-shirted players ran after it.

  “Way to go, Ben!” Shayna yelled from the sideline.

  Ben nodded, but he kept his eyes on the field. That flurry of shots had tired everyone out. The pace of the game began to slow for a few moments.

  The slow pace didn’t last long. Alex and Loop led another burst toward the Bobcats’ goal. Ben knocked down one shot and caught another. He was fired up now.

  Nothing gets past me, he thought. Loop will look like a real jerk when this one ends.

  “You must be the luckiest guy on the planet,” Loop said as Ben lined up the ball at the edge of the goal box to kick it back into play.

  “I make my own luck,” Ben said.

  “We should have three goals by now,” Loop replied.

  “What a shame,” Ben said. “Are those real tears?”

  The referee had jogged over. “What’s the problem here?” he asked.

  “No problem,” Ben said. “At least not for me.”

  “Then put the ball in play,” the ref said.

  Ben raced forward and kicked it long and hard. Jordan was the first one to it, and he dribbled up the field, making a nice fake to get past a defender.

  Loop ran after the ball, too. Ben couldn’t help but smile.

  Keep him frustrated, he thought. Take away his concentration, just like he tries to do to you.

  Coach made the right choice putting me in goal. They probably would have two or three goals by now if I wasn’t here.

  But there was a
long way to go in this game. And Loop was racing down the field toward the goal again.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Right Back at ’Em

  When the first half ended, Ben jogged toward the Bobcats’ bench. He was thrilled that his entire team ran over to meet him, slapping him on the back and shouting, “Great work!”

  He’d lost count of all the shots he’d blocked or caught or knocked away. Probably close to a dozen. The Bobcats still held a 1–0 lead.

  Ben picked up the bag of orange slices and ripped into one with his teeth. The juice squirted down his chin.

  “Halfway there!” Jordan said, giving Ben a light punch in the shoulder.

  “You really shut them down, Ben,” Erin said.

  Ben smiled. “We shut them up, too.”

  Ben looked for Shayna. She was standing near her mom. “How is it?” Ben asked.

  Shayna winced. She hadn’t returned to the game. “Too sore,” she said. “You were great, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” He’d been hoping she’d play goalie in the second half, but the Bobcats had other options. Ben was just glad that he’d be playing up front again.

  “Here’s the lineup,” Coach said. “Ben, Kim, Jordan on the front line. Omar and Mark on defense. Darren in goal.”

  Ben turned to Darren. “We’ll keep ’em away from you.”

  “There’s twenty minutes of soccer left,” Coach said. “Don’t go out there and try to protect the lead for the entire half. You need to stay on the attack. We need another goal or two.”

  Ben saw his brother and his parents walking over to him. Larry was carrying a bottle of water.

  “That was some wild action, huh?” Larry said, handing the bottle to Ben.

  “Brutal,” Ben replied, shaking his head. “I was really focused on stopping the ball.”

  “Just another game, right?”

  Ben gave a tight smile. “Sort of,” he said. “I know what you mean, though. Don’t let the pressure get to me.”

  “Are you still going to be the goalie?” Dad asked.

  “No. Center forward.”

  “Still jittery?” Mom asked.

  Ben shook his head. “I didn’t have time to be nervous. Every time I looked up, the Falcons were shooting the ball at me.”

  As they lined up for the second half, Ben noticed that Loop and Alex were set up as defenders for the Falcons. But all that meant was that five Falcons would be attacking the goal, not just the three forwards. Loop and Alex were fast enough to get back on defense anytime the Bobcats had the ball.

  Ben kept his eyes on Loop. Loop glanced over once, but he didn’t do his usual showboat routine of patting his chest and pointing. He was very serious. When his eyes caught Ben’s, Loop looked away.

  Not so sure of yourself now, huh, Loop? Ben thought.

  But the second half started much like the first, with the Falcons controlling the ball and keeping it near the Bobcats’ goal. Twice Mark kicked the ball away just as Alex was about to shoot. Darren made a couple of easy saves, too.

  Midway through the half, Ben was staying close to Loop as the Falcons attacked. Jordan stole the ball for the Bobcats and kicked it forward, but the Falcons got it right back.

  Everyone on the field had been running toward the Falcons’ end, so the quick interception left Loop with some room. Alex’s pass went to him, and Ben stumbled as he cut back to Loop.

  Loop was angling toward the goal, and Ben raced over to force him away. Darren was in a good position to make a save, but Loop stopped short, made a couple of jukes, and faked his way past Ben.

  “Here!” came a shout from near the goal. It was Alex, and he was wide open. Loop’s pass found him perfectly. Darren dived at the ball, but it slipped through his hands and into the net. Alex had tied the score.

  Ben felt a hard bump to his shoulder as Loop ran into him.

  “Watch it,” Ben mumbled.

  Loop turned and snorted. “We burnt you that time,” he said.

  They’d kept the high-scoring Falcons scoreless for thirty minutes, but just like that the game was tied. Ben knew he hadn’t been burned. He’d played good defense, but he couldn’t cover Loop and Alex at the same time. Where had the rest of the Bobcats been?

  Ben clapped his hands. “Let’s get it right back!” he called. “Time to show some power.”

  The Bobcats hadn’t had a scoring opportunity since that first goal, way back in the first minute of the game.

  Coach sent Erin onto the field to replace Omar. “You’ve got fresh legs,” Ben said to her. “Let’s run these guys off the field.”

  Mark jogged over to Ben. “I’m coming up on the attack,” he said. “We need to apply some pressure.”

  Ben nodded and moved to the center circle to put the ball into play. He made a short pass to Kim, who turned and kicked it back to Mark.

  Jordan was sprinting up one side of the field, with Ben running parallel to him in the center. Mark sent a long, high pass deep into the Falcons’ end of the field. Alex got under it and trapped it with his thigh, then looked ahead for someone to pass to.

  Ben could see where the ball would go. Loop was unguarded, but he was quite far down the field. Unless Alex passed the ball very hard, Ben would be able to get to it first.

  Alex made a soft pass, rolling the ball along the turf toward Loop.

  That’s mine, Ben thought, racing toward it at full stride. He reached it half a step before Loop did.

  With a quick pivot, Ben shielded the ball from Loop and took off toward the Falcons’ goal. There were opponents in front of him, but Jordan was wide open to Ben’s side. He yelled, “Support!” to let Ben know he was there.

  Ben took two more strides, then slipped the ball to Jordan. Without slowing down, Ben curved behind the Falcons, who charged at Jordan.

  Ben didn’t even have to break stride as Jordan’s pass headed between him and the goal. The goalie was ready to spring, but a quick shoulder fake from Ben sent him to the right.

  Ben drove the ball hard to the left, and it lined into the back of the net.

  The Bobcats had retaken the lead.

  Ben made a fist and ran to Jordan, saying, “Fantastic pass!” They leaped and hit their chests together, then ran toward midfield.

  Loop was standing alone, looking stunned. Ben had to go slightly out of his way to reach him, but he made a point of bumping Loop’s shoulder with his own.

  “Right back at you,” Ben said. He didn’t wait for Loop to respond, but kept running.

  Ben glanced to the sideline and saw Coach gesturing for him to come over. Omar was running onto the field.

  “I’m out?” Ben asked.

  “Take a quick breather,” Coach said. She set her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Two things to remember. First, keep your head together. There was no need to bump into one of their players like that. You’re lucky the referee didn’t see it.”

  “Loop did the exact same thing to me.”

  “Just let it go. Second thing: I need you to go back to playing goalkeeper.”

  “Again?” Ben wiped his hands on his jersey. “I just scored!”

  “Right. Which means if we can shut them out the rest of the way, we’ll win.”

  “That’s true,” Ben said. But he wanted to be on that field, stealing the ball, making passes, taking another shot at the goal.

  “Next time the ball goes out of bounds,” Coach said, “go back in goal.”

  Ben paced the sideline, eager to get back on the field. Shayna hobbled over to him and pointed to her watch. “About six minutes to go,” she said.

  Within a minute, Mark had knocked the ball over the end line. Coach yelled, “Sub!” and Ben ran onto the field.

  As the Falcons set up for a corner kick, Ben took the yellow jersey and the gloves from Darren. He jumped up and down a few times and stretched out his fingers. Then he sized up the players in front of the goal.

  Alex and Loop were tucked in tight, waiting for the kick. Erin, Mark, and Jordan surroun
ded them.

  “Clear that ball,” Ben said to his teammates. “Kick it away from the goal.”

  Ben knew things would get wild on a corner kick. A shot could come from any angle.

  And here it came. The kick was low, and Alex controlled it but was off balance. He turned and fired a shot, which bonked off the crossbar and bounced back onto the field. Mark kicked it away, but another Falcon trapped it with his chest and let it drop.

  That player was a bit too eager, and he kicked the ball while it was still in the air. It flew over the goal.

  Ben hustled back and grabbed the ball, setting it in the upper corner of the goal box. He scanned the field, then kicked the ball as hard as he could.

  He hadn’t hit the ball solidly, and it spun toward the side. A Falcon kicked it forward, and suddenly Loop and Mark were chasing it as it rolled quickly toward the goal.

  Ben ran toward it, too. He shouted, “Keeper!” to let Mark know that he could get to it first and field it safely.

  Mark backed off, but Loop kept running. Ben reached the ball just ahead of Loop and dived for it. They were inside the goal box, so Ben was allowed to use his hands. He cradled the ball in his arms and rolled, and Loop leaped over him, crashing to the ground, too.

  Ben was up first, and he punted the ball long and high. As he watched it soar past midfield, he heard Loop say, “Get used to that ground. We’ll be stomping you into it.”

  Ben ignored the taunting this time. He knew the Falcons would keep up the pressure until the final whistle.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  One-on-One

  Ben had never felt so alert in his life. He could see every play developing; he knew which move the Falcons would make. He stopped every shot they took.

  All the players on the field looked exhausted. But with less than two minutes remaining, they were using every ounce of energy they had left. The Bobcats weren’t concerned with scoring again. All they had to do was preserve the 2–1 lead. The Falcons were frantic, though, chasing every loose ball and desperately trying to knot the game.

  Here came Alex again, streaming down the sideline with the ball, dodging past Erin and then Jordan. He shifted left, then right, and passed to a teammate near the corner.