My Cure - Mallory Pugh/USWNT (Sequel to Attached)

Chapter 32

Morgana's POV

Tonight determines if we get to go to the Olympics or not. 

But we're already heading to the World Cup. 

I felt pressure again, but I was able to shake it off quickly. 

"Look at me." Hatchy said a minute before we went out to the field. 

So I looked, and she put her hands on my shoulders, looking me dead in the eyes, smiling. It was comforting. 

"You're going to kill this. Absolutely, lights out kill this. Feel no pressure. Feel nothing. You are the best of the best, Morgana. Go show it." 

That hit me hard. I smiled, having no words to say. 

"It's all in here." She pointed to my heart. "We love you. I love you. Mal loves you. Nothing's gonna change that." 

Then I held back tears as I got in line to go out onto the field. 

The attendance still wasn't as many people as there would be at home in the US, but there was certainly more people than the previous games. 

I spotted my parents, my sister, my brother in law and niece in the stands all together, in their LaRue 22 jerseys. 

There was someone missing, so I looked up at the sky. 

Mal walked over and  put her hand on my shoulder, and I looked down, biting my lip to keep away the tears. 

I heard 3 different cameras clicking behind us, but I didn't care. 

"Ready to go, double deuces?" Kelley asked as she ran by me, tapping my shoulder a little bit. 

"Locked in." I smiled, and Mal and I jogged to our spots on the field.  

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Canada was our best opponent, which we expected. But it didn't stop me from doing what I do best. 

I put a ball in the back of the net in the 22nd minute. Cross from Mal came in, I didn't have a good enough angle, so I took a touch around my defender, took a shot that curved into the top corner, and I got tripped from behind right after. 

I got up quickly, putting my hands in the air with my hands in a heart. But before I did that, I gave the girl who tripped me a little shove with my shoulder as I walked by. 

Mal gave me a hug, Trinity put her arm around me, and everyone else gave me high fives. I ran to the bench to give Hatchy a high five before going back to my spot. 

I had the lone goal in the first half, and we weren't subbing anyone yet. 

Sanchez had some good looks at goal, I think she's pretty close. But other than that, the game is being played a lot in the middle, not near the goals, or the ball will get cleared. 

I was ready to go in and make something else happen. 

Nothing in the first 20 minutes. But we had control and were ready to put something in. 

I won the ball in the middle, and I had time, so I dribbled into space. 

Then I put a through ball to Mal, who ran onto it, and then a defender came out of nowhere and absolutely crushed her down, sending her on the ground hard. 

"Crap!" I yelled, running over to her. She hadn't moved much, and the play was still going on. 

She was crying really really hard. I put my hand on her back to let her know I was there, and she rolled over.